Xi demands military loyalty as China's anti-corruption purge claims 12 officers

The military purge, which removed the PLA’s top general last month, reflects Xi’s ongoing drive to consolidate control over China’s armed forces in his 14th year in power. Analysts say the anti-corruption campaign, now more than a decade old, also serves to remove potential rivals and secure unquestioned loyalty among subordinates.

BEIJING — China’s President Xi Jinping on Saturday demanded absolute political loyalty in the military and vowed to press forward the fight against corruption, as Beijing’s annual “two sessions” legislative meetings were marked by the dismissal of a dozen senior officers from state bodies.

“There must be no one in the military who harbors disloyalty to the (ruling Communist) Party,” Xi said in remarks published by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Xi spoke at a plenary meeting of the delegation of China’s People’s Liberation Army and People’s Armed Police Force at the “two sessions” — the concurrent annual gatherings of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, and its top political advisory body.

The dismissals came in two rounds. The National People’s Congress last week removed nine military officers, including two who served under the Central Military Commission, the military’s highest body, as well as officers from the army, the navy, the air force, and the rocket force. Three generals were separately removed this week from the top political advisory body.

The removals followed last month’s dismissal of the PLA’s top general, deepening an anti-corruption campaign Xi launched more than a decade ago that shows no sign of abating.

Analysts say the campaign also functions as a political instrument. In his 14th year in power, Xi has used anti-corruption investigations to remove potential rivals and secure unquestioned loyalty among subordinates, according to the Associated Press.

“There must be no hiding place for corrupt individuals,” Xi was cited by Xinhua as saying. “The fight against corruption must be resolutely pushed forward.”

Chinese leaders this week also announced a 7% growth in the defense budget for 2026, bringing military spending to about 1.9 trillion yuan, or approximately $270 billion. The increase was slightly lower than the roughly 7.2% annual growth recorded over each of the prior three years.