China promotes two generals after graft probes thin military leadership

China’s military has promoted two officers to general after corruption investigations removed several senior leaders, the Associated Press reported. The moves could help refill the upper ranks of the Central Military Commission, the top body overseeing the armed forces.

President Xi Jinping, who also chairs the commission, presented promotion orders at a ceremony Friday in Beijing, according to the AP. The officers were identified by the AP as Zhang Shuguang and Wang Gang, the air force commander.

Zhang was also appointed to lead the commission’s corruption investigation division, the AP reported. A photo released by Xinhua News Agency showed Xi with the newly promoted generals and Zhang Shengmin, a commission vice chairman.

The promotions come after a long-running anti-corruption campaign that has thinned the military’s senior leadership, according to the AP. The shake-up is widely viewed as an effort, at least in part, to reinforce the armed forces’ loyalty to the ruling Communist Party and to Xi.

Vacancies at the top

The Central Military Commission is formally a seven-member body, but corruption investigations have left it with only two active members, the AP reported. Xi remains chairman, and Zhang Shengmin is the only other active member.

Two former vice chairmen have been removed or effectively removed, according to the AP. One of them was the military’s top general.

The latest promotions could place Zhang Shuguang and Wang Gang in position to fill vacancies on the commission, the AP reported. The commission’s composition is closely watched because it sits at the center of China’s military command structure.

A new commission is expected to be announced in the fall of next year, when the current commission’s five-year term ends, according to the AP.

This story draws on original reporting from NPR.