China Tightens Military Discipline as Xi Jinping Deepens PLA Anti-Corruption Campaign

WORLD NEWS / Xi Jinping has moved to further tighten control over the upper ranks of China’s military after the country’s top military leadership introduced new “ironclad” rules aimed at strengthening discipline, loyalty and supervision within the People’s Liberation Army.

The measures were issued by the Central Military Commission, the powerful body led by Xi that oversees the Chinese armed forces. According to Chinese state media, the new rules are designed to impose stricter political and behavioural oversight on senior military officers as Beijing continues an aggressive anti-corruption campaign that has shaken the PLA’s highest ranks.

State news agency Xinhua said the regulations focus on ensuring “strict education, strict management and strict supervision” of senior officers. Officials described the measures as the latest institutional step in Xi’s long-running effort to reshape the military and reinforce Communist Party control over the armed forces.

The new regulations reportedly contain 26 articles spread across seven major areas. Although full details were not publicly released, state media said the measures target all aspects of senior officers’ professional and personal conduct, including political loyalty, ideological discipline, personnel selection and leadership behaviour.

Xi’s Anti-Corruption Drive Expands Further

The latest announcement comes after years of sweeping investigations that have removed numerous high-ranking military figures from power. Xi launched his anti-corruption campaign shortly after taking office in 2012. While the campaign has targeted civilian officials across China’s political system, the military has become one of its most important battlegrounds.

Chinese authorities have repeatedly argued that corruption inside the armed forces threatened combat readiness, political loyalty and national security.

Over the past several years, investigations have reached the highest levels of the PLA, including members of the Central Military Commission itself. The anti-corruption campaign has dramatically reshaped China’s military leadership structure. According to analysts, the once seven-member CMC has effectively been reduced to only Xi and disciplinary chief Zhang Shengmin after multiple senior figures were removed, investigated or sidelined.

The purge has become one of the most extensive military clean-ups in modern Chinese history.

New Rules Emphasise Political Loyalty

According to Xinhua, the new measures strongly emphasise “ideological rectification”, collective party leadership and stricter political supervision.

The regulations also stress tighter control over promotions and personnel appointments, an area that investigators believe became deeply affected by bribery and personal influence networks within the military hierarchy. Chinese military newspaper PLA Daily described the measures as “ironclad rules” necessary for maintaining the Communist Party’s long-term control over the armed forces.

The newspaper urged senior officers to fully embrace political education and strengthen their loyalty to Xi and the party.

The commentary specifically stated that regardless of rank, all military officials remain subject to party discipline and supervision. The language reflects Xi’s long-standing position that absolute political loyalty to the Communist Party must remain the foundation of the Chinese military.

Analysts See Clues About Internal Problems

Some analysts believe the wording of the new rules offers indirect insight into the problems Chinese authorities discovered within the PLA leadership.

A Beijing-based political researcher cited in reports argued that repeated references to ideological discipline, collective leadership and stricter personnel management suggest that some senior officers may have abused their authority, ignored party procedures or manipulated promotions. The emphasis on political loyalty also indicates concern within Beijing that certain military leaders may have drifted away from Communist Party ideology or become too independent in their decision-making.

Xi has consistently argued that the military must remain absolutely loyal to the Communist Party rather than function as an independent institution.

Former Defence Ministers Given Suspended Death Sentences

The seriousness of the crackdown became especially clear earlier this month when two former Chinese defence ministers received suspended death sentences in corruption cases.

Former defence minister Wei Fenghe was convicted of accepting bribes, while former defence minister Li Shangfu was found guilty of both accepting and offering bribes. Chinese authorities did not disclose the exact amounts involved in the cases, but the punishment represented one of the harshest penalties imposed on senior military officials during Xi’s leadership.

The sentences sent a strong signal that even the highest-ranking figures in China’s military establishment are not immune from punishment.

Top Military Leadership Hit by Investigations

The anti-corruption campaign has also reportedly reached several other powerful military figures in recent years.

Among those investigated are former CMC vice-chairmen Zhang Youxia and He Weidong, along with former CMC members Liu Zhenli and Miao Hua. These officials previously occupied some of the most influential positions within the PLA, including operational command, political work and strategic planning.

Their removal has created what some observers describe as an unprecedented restructuring of China’s military leadership.

Broader Implications for China’s Military Modernisation

The campaign comes at a time when China is aggressively modernising its military amid rising tensions with the United States and regional disputes in the Indo-Pacific.

Beijing has invested heavily in advanced weapons systems, naval expansion, artificial intelligence and missile capabilities as it seeks to transform the PLA into a world-class fighting force. However, Chinese leaders have repeatedly warned that corruption could undermine military effectiveness and weaken combat preparedness.

Xi has argued that political discipline and ideological unity are just as important as technological modernisation.

The new rules therefore appear aimed not only at fighting corruption but also at ensuring tighter personal loyalty to Xi as China enters an increasingly tense geopolitical environment. For outside observers, the sweeping crackdown highlights both the scale of corruption concerns within the PLA and Xi Jinping’s determination to maintain absolute control over China’s military leadership.