Chinese President Xi Jinping presides over a ceremony in Beijing where two senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers are promoted to the rank of general, the highest active-duty rank in China. Xi chairs the Central Military Commission (CMC), the country’s top military decision-making body, and the promotions are recorded by Chinese state media. The officers promoted are Zhang Shuguang, who leads the CMC Discipline Inspection Commission and the CMC Commission of Supervision, and Wang Gang, who serves as commander of the PLA Air Force. Both officers receive their formal general rank during the ceremony.
The appointments take place against the backdrop of Xi’s ongoing campaign to strengthen discipline and combat corruption within the military, which has previously led to investigations, removals, and changes in senior leadership across the PLA. Sources also describe the promotions as part of a broader process of reshaping and replenishing key positions within the CMC and the wider command structure. The current CMC leadership was appointed in October 2022 and is expected to be reviewed or renewed around the next Communist Party Congress, anticipated in 2027. Overall, the promotions are presented as continuing efforts to consolidate authority, restore leadership capacity, and support broader modernization goals.
