China strips military lawmakers as Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive deepens

China removed six military lawmakers, Li Yunze and Ma Xingrui from the National People's Congress. The unexplained dismissals add to Xi Jinping's long-running anti-corruption purge of senior officials and generals.

In Short

• Chinese Standing Committee notice gave no reason for the dismissals
• Defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment
• commander-in-chief of China's Manned Space Programme also removed

China on Friday stripped six military lawmakers, former financial regulator head Li Yunze and recently probed Politburo member Ma Xingrui of their posts in the National People's Congress, the country's top legislative body, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The report cited a notice from the National People's Congress Standing Committee, which provided no reason for the dismissals.

There was no immediate comment or response to a request sent to the defence ministry.

The removal marks the latest escalation in a years-long anti-corruption campaign initiated by President Xi Jinping that has seen scores of senior officials and top generals investigated, removed and purged.

Among the removed military lawmakers in the notice was General Xu Xueqiang, who has been the head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, a top military body tasked with overseeing the development, acquisition and testing of equipment for the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Xu has also been commander-in-chief of China's Manned Space Programme since 2022.

Also removed were General Li Fengbiao, who had served as political commissar of the PLA Western Theatre Command, and General Guo Puxiao, who had been the political commissar of the PLA Air Force, as well as the Eastern Theatre Command's Wang Kangping, Cyberspace Force's Zhang Minghua, and the Army's Yin Hongxing.

The officials could not be reached for comment.

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