Two Chinese generals were seated for the first time alongside top People’s Liberation Army officers in a high-profile ceremony this week – a clear sign that they have emerged as front-runners for the leadership of the world’s largest standing army.
During an evening gala marking the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party’s founding on Monday, lieutenant generals Zhang Shuguang and Wang Gang were seated at the front of the section reserved for military leadership.
At the event, attended by President Xi Jinping and other members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the pair of generals sat alongside Defence Minister Dong Jun and General Han Shengyan, commander of the Central Theatre Command. Both Dong and Han are full generals.
Lieutenant General Zhu Chuansheng, deputy chief of staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, was also seated in the same row, though his seating position suggested a lower rank than the others.
PLA anti-corruption chief General Zhang Shengmin, who was promoted to vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission in October, was also present at the event, which was attended by top incumbent and retired officials from various sectors. He was seated near Xi, ahead of the other five generals.
Seating arrangements at major Chinese events follow strict protocols, generally determined by rank and seniority. The closer the seat is to the front, the higher the general’s status.
Beijing’s anti-corruption campaign has inflicted a heavy toll on the PLA’s leadership in recent years.
Several top Chinese generals have come under investigation, including former CMC vice-chairmen Zhang Youxia and He Weidong, former defence ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, as well as former CMC members Liu Zhenli and Miao Hua.
The drive has left the Central Military Commission, whose current five-year term began in 2022, with just two members – Xi and Zhang Shengmin, the anti-corruption chief.
The ranks of China’s full generals have suffered an unprecedented blow. A total of 26 generals have been investigated since 2023, and 12 have disappeared from public view or missed important meetings.
In recent months, only four full generals have been seen active in public: Zhang Shengmin, Dong, Han and Yang Zhibin, the newly appointed commander of the Eastern Theatre Command.
Zhang Shuguang has long served in the military’s anti-corruption and discipline inspection system, the domain of Zhang Shengmin. In 2017, he was appointed director of the Discipline Inspection Bureau under the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Lieutenant General Wang Gang, the other new face in the front, was last known to hold the position of deputy commander of the PLA Air Force. But the latest seating arrangement suggests he has been promoted.
Wang has had a long career in the air force and is a top-rated pilot. He was promoted to lieutenant general in 2022 and served as the commander of the aerial formation during the Victory Day parade last September.
The PLA will celebrate the anniversary of its founding on August 1, when Beijing typically holds a ceremony for officers promoted to the rank of full general.
The 21st national party congress, expected to convene in autumn of next year, will see a new line-up of the party’s top leadership as well as of the new CMC. By convention, CMC members are required to hold the rank of full general. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
