▲ Chinese President Xi Jinping
Chinese authorities have stripped Wang Ning, former commander of the People's Armed Police, of his positions, including standing committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and revoked his membership.
As a result, all three successive commanders who led the Armed Police Force from 2009 to 2025 have stepped down in disgrace.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency today (November 5), the CPPCC Standing Committee removed Wang from his posts as standing committee member and deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and revoked his CPPCC membership during its 19th session of the 14th Standing Committee held in Beijing yesterday.
Chinese authorities did not disclose specific reasons for the disciplinary action against the former commander.
Wang is a so-called "red second generation" (Hongerdai), a term referring to the children of Chinese Communist Party revolutionary veterans and senior officials. He was appointed commander of the Armed Police Force in 2014 and served until 2020.
After retiring, he served in the National People's Congress (NPC) and the CPPCC, but speculation arose over his well-being when he was absent from the Two Sessions (the annual meetings of the NPC and CPPCC), China's largest political event, in March of this year.
With this latest action, three consecutive generations of Armed Police commanders, including Wang Ning, have now fallen from power.
Wang Ning's predecessor, Wang Jianping, was ousted on corruption charges in 2016.
He was recorded as the first active-duty general to fall over corruption charges since President Xi Jinping came to power.
Wang Chunning, who succeeded Wang Ning as Armed Police commander in 2020, was also stripped of his Communist Party membership and military status last year over charges of severe violations of discipline and law.
The Armed Police Force is a paramilitary organization responsible for China's internal security, counterterrorism operations, and the guarding of major facilities. Following a command system reorganization in 2018, it operates under the direct command of the Central Military Commission.
China has recently seen a series of large-scale purges targeting military leadership.
During the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee (5th Plenary Session) held last month, the Chinese Communist Party endorsed the expulsion from the party of 16 senior military generals, including former Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Yousha and former Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission Liu Zhenli.
Previously, in October of last year, nine senior military figures—including then-Central Military Commission Vice Chairman He Weidong and former Director of the Central Military Commission Political Work Department Miao Hua—were stripped of their party membership and military status over corruption allegations.
As President Xi has emphasized the eradication of corruption within the military since taking power in 2012, analysts point out that anti-corruption operations targeting the military are expanding broadly, with not only active-duty commanders but also retired high-ranking generals falling one after another.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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