Chinese Military: General Zhang Joins Politburo as Purge Wides
Party attendance dropped to 74 percent during the four-day session, a record low since the Mao era, as leaders ratified new discipline rules.
By Rafael Bailey ·
The Communist Party of China elevated Gen. Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo on Thursday, ending a period where the top governing body lacked military representation. This move occurred during a four-day closed-door meeting in Bangkok, where party leaders also approved a resolution aimed at tightening internal controls.
Zhang currently serves as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. He is the only general remaining on that commission after President Xi Jinping purged two other top generals. Xi is expected to secure a fourth five-year term as party leader in approximately one year. The promotion restores a military voice to the Politburo, which previously had no members from the People's Liberation Army.
Zhang holds a dual role overseeing internal discipline for the military as deputy secretary of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection. The party adopted a resolution stating that its tasks are increasingly arduous. The text calls for uniting the people to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
The resolution emphasizes self-governance and ideological purity. It instructs the party to maintain close ties with the public while enhancing its long-term governance capacity. Xinhua News Agency reported that the party must root out corruption to preserve its progressive nature.
Xi has led an anti-corruption crackdown since 2012. Analysts note the current focus has expanded to include underperforming officials. During the session, party members reviewed and confirmed the personnel changes resulting from the earlier removals of top military figures.
Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy, analyzed the attendance records from the plenum. He calculated a 74 percent attendance rate. This figure represents the lowest turnout since the leadership of Mao Zedong, who regularly conducted political purges. The low number suggests a wider scope of removals than initially expected.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of these guiding resolutions. The party will implement these directives in the coming years as it prepares for the next leadership cycle.
