China promotes Zhang Shengmin to Politburo as party tightens internal rules

The Communist Party of China elevated Gen. Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo on Thursday, restoring military representation to the party's top governing body after recent high-profile removals. Zhang, who serves as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, becomes the only active general on the commission alongside President Xi Jinping. The promotion occurs as party leaders finalize resolutions intended to reinforce discipline and anti-corruption measures across the organization.

The personnel shift follows a purge that removed two of China's top generals from the Central Military Commission. Before those removals, the commission included multiple military leaders. Now, Zhang remains the sole general on the body. He also holds the role of deputy secretary of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection, a position focused on internal military oversight. The Politburo previously lacked any representatives from the People's Liberation Army, a gap that this promotion closes.

Leaders met for four days in a closed-door session to deliberate on the resolutions. The gathering takes place roughly one year before Xi is expected to secure a fourth five-year term as party leader. During the plenum, members reviewed and confirmed the earlier personnel changes, effectively ratifying the removal of the two purged generals. The meeting serves as a strategic checkpoint for the party's direction in the coming years.

The party issued a summary stating that its tasks are "increasingly arduous." The resolution emphasizes the need to unite and lead the people to protect national sovereignty, security, and development interests. It calls for strengthened self-governance, which includes rooting out corruption and maintaining ideological purity. According to Xinhua News Agency, the party must maintain its "progressive nature and purity" and its "close, flesh-and-blood ties with the people." This language aligns with the anti-corruption campaign Xi has championed since 2012.

Analysts note that the current crackdown extends beyond corruption to target underperforming officials. Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy who studies Chinese politics, analyzed attendance records from the plenum. He calculated a 74 percent attendance rate, which he identified as the lowest since the era of former leader Mao Zedong. Thomas described the purges as wider than expected based on these figures.

The party's next steps involve implementing the adopted resolutions over the coming years. The leadership will focus on enhancing long-term governance capacity. Xi's fourth term is scheduled to begin in roughly one year, following the standard five-year cycle for party leadership positions. The internal review process is complete, and the party will proceed with executing the new guidelines for self-governance and discipline.