China dismisses 19 lawmakers, including 9 military officers, ahead of Congress as Xi Jinping’s crackdown deepens

China removes 19 lawmakers before congress

China’s top legislature has removed 19 deputies, including nine serving military officers, just a week before the opening of its annual session.

The announcement, made late on Thursday, did not specify the reasons for the dismissals. However, such moves are typically associated with ongoing corruption investigations.

The sweeping anti-corruption drive initiated by Chinese leader Xi Jinping more than a decade ago continues unabated. In recent years, the armed forces have come under particular scrutiny, including last month’s removal of the military’s most senior general, as Xi presses ahead with efforts to reform and modernise the People’s Liberation Army.

Observers say the campaign also serves a political purpose, enabling Xi — now in his 14th year in power — to sideline potential rivals and reinforce discipline and loyalty within the ranks.

The latest removals are unlikely to significantly affect the upcoming session of the National People’s Congress, which begins next Thursday and is expected to last about a week. The largely ceremonial body typically endorses decisions already taken by the ruling Communist Party.

Among those dismissed are two officers serving under the Central Military Commission, the armed forces’ highest authority, along with personnel drawn from the army, navy, air force and rocket force. Three of them hold the rank of general. The rocket force, which oversees China’s nuclear arsenal, was among the earliest branches to face scrutiny in the military purge.

The other dismissed deputies were regional representatives from several provinces. The removals leave the National People's Congress with 2,878 members.

The dismissals were announced by the legislature's Standing Committee, a smaller and more powerful group of members who meet periodically throughout the year and can approve legislation.

The Standing Committee, which met ahead of next week's congress, also fired two officials, the president of the military court and Emergency Management Minister Wang Xiangxi. Authorities announced last month that Wang is the subject of a corruption investigation.