• Miao Hua has been removed from China's Central Military Commission due to a corruption investigation.
• This marks a continuation of President Xi Jinping's broader military anti-corruption campaign.
• Over a dozen PLA generals have been implicated in similar investigations.
• Miao's career significantly advanced under Xi Jinping's leadership.
• This is the second high-profile removal from the military command since 2022.

China's top legislature, the National People's Congress, has voted to expel Miao Hua from the Central Military Commission (CMC), which is the country's highest-level military command body. Miao was under investigation for "serious violations of discipline" following his suspension in November. His removal marks another significant step in President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption campaign within the military, which has implicated over a dozen PLA generals and several defense industry executives, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

During the National People's Congress meeting, Miao's removal was confirmed, adding to the list of significant shifts within the military leadership under Xi Jinping's direction. This is the second major removal since Xi took office in 2022, the first being former defense minister Li Shangfu, who was dismissed in October 2023. Notably, Miao's photo was recently taken down from the Chinese defense ministry’s website, bolstering the perception of his fall from grace, according to South China Morning Post.

Miao Hua has had a long career in the People's Liberation Army, beginning at the age of 14 and ascending to significant roles under Xi's administration. His roles included serving as the political ideology chief of the PLA, where he gained considerable influence. The frequent removals from the CMC signal a serious approach to maintaining discipline and loyalty amid Xi's efforts to strengthen party control over the military and ensure the compliance of its leadership, as detailed in reports from Reuters, Channel News Asia, and South China Morning Post.

Additionally, the absence of He Weidong, another high-ranking official and close ally of Xi, raises further questions about stability within the military's upper echelons, as he has not been seen in public since early March during the parliamentary sessions. The implications of these personnel changes could alter the power dynamics within the PLA and the broader Chinese political landscape, according to Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.