China expels two top military leaders from Communist Party in anti-corruption purge

He Weidong (back row, third from left) and Miao Hua (right) after they were elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in this March 11, 2023, file photo. — Reuters

BEIJING: Two top Chinese military leaders have been expelled from the ruling Communist Party and the military on corruption charges, the country's defence ministry said today, the most senior officers to be purged in an anti-graft drive that began in 2023.

He Weidong, China's number two general, and navy admiral Miao Hua, the Chinese military's former top political officer, are the latest senior military officials to be targeted in a campaign against corruption in the People's Liberation Army.