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Promotions Herald a New Leadership for China’s Military

Amid an ongoing purge, Chinese leader Xi Jinping may be assembling the cornerstones of a new Central Military Commission.

While the ongoing purge continues to haunt the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer corps – as seen, for example, in the June 26 removal of six military lawmakers from the National People’s Congress – there are signs that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has started assembling the cornerstones of a new Central Military Commission (CMC). 

On July 3, a promotion ceremony was held at the CMC headquarters, where two lieutenant generals – Zhang Shuguang of the Army and Wang Gang of the Air Force – were elevated to the rank of general. At the same time, Zhang was appointed as the new secretary of the CMC Discipline Inspection Commission and Wang became the new Air Force commander.  

A career political officer, Zhang has spent the last decade in the PLA’s graft-busting discipline inspection system, with experiences at the CMC-level, as well as in the Air Force and Army. This background makes him well-prepared to succeed Zhang Shengmin to lead the Discipline Inspection Commission, which has been indispensable in overseeing the PLA purge.  

By contrast, the new Air Force chief Wang Gang seems to fit the definition of a professional military officer. Wang began his career as a pilot before rising to command an Air Force division. Later, Wang served as the director of the Air Force training department (2012–2016), assistant Air Force chief of staff (2016–2019), central theater command Air Force chief of staff (2019–2022), Air Force chief of staff (2022–2025), deputy Air Force commander (2025–2026), and finally the current commander of the Air Force. 

Prior to the July 3 promotions, the PLA, an organization of over 2 million personnel, had only four serving generals. As a result of the rolling purges that reached a height in 2025, the PLA’s senior leadership has been depleted and new promotions are desperately needed to restaff posts at the CMC and its subordinate organs. 

With that in mind, we should anticipate a steady stream of promotions from now until the 2027 Party Congress, when a new CMC will be unveiled. 

Zhang Shuguang’s promotion to full general and take over of the CMC Discipline Inspection Commission shows Xi’s continued prioritization on enforcing strict discipline within the PLA – fundamental to sustaining his personal control over the most consequential institution in the Chinese political system. His predecessor, Zhang Shengmin, oversaw the second apogee of the PLA anti-corruption campaign, which reduced the senior military leadership to its smallest size in modern Chinese history. Zhang Shuguang is likely to........

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