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Sylvie Zhuang

China has promoted a long-time airforce officer, Chen Hui, to the rank of general, confirming him as the new army political commissar, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua on Monday.
Chen has replaced Qin Shutong, 61, whose appointment as the army political commissar was made public in January 2022. Qin’s whereabouts are unknown.
In China, a political commissar is a military official in charge of ideology, political education and ensuring unit morale.
The appointment comes amid a slew of personnel changes within the People’s Liberation Army, with the latest being Miao Hua, a member of the powerful Central Military Commission and the director of its political work department, who was placed under investigation for corruption in November.
Qin’s 2022 promotion happened while Miao was the head of the political work department, which is in charge of military personnel changes.
A promotion ceremony was held for Chen on Monday. It was the first such ceremony since Miao’s downfall last month.
Chen, 61, served in the Chinese air force for at least two decades, according to public records.
Chen’s last role was political commissar of the space systems department of the PLA’s Strategic Support Force – a position he filled in 2021.
He graduated with a degree in radio communication from Hebei University of Technology in 1983, according to a report on the university’s website from 2013.
He took part in earthquake relief and rescue missions in Sichuan province in 2008 while serving in an airforce unit, according to Chinese media reports.
In 2010, he was appointed deputy political commissar at the PLA Air Force Command College in Beijing.
In 2016, he was named secretary of the discipline inspection commission of the Southern Theatre Command Air Force in Guangzhou.
In 2020, he was promoted to secretary of discipline and inspection under the PLA Air Force.


Chen’s appointment comes as several senior PLA officers have been taken down by corruption charges amid a larger anti-graft drive.
In September, it was announced that Deng Zhiping, a deputy commander of China’s army, had been stripped of his lawmaker status at the National People’s Congress (NPC).
Deng, 60, was last seen in public in March when he attended the annual NPC session. A notice issued by the NPC Standing Committee said he was suspected of “serious violations of laws and discipline”, a phrase that usually refers to corruption.
Deng was once hailed as a war hero during China’s border clashes with Vietnam in the 1970s and 80s.
Beijing also placed two of its former defence ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, under investigation in June.
Wei served in the role from 2018 to 2023, while Li was promoted to the job in March 2023 and sacked in October of the same year after vanishing from the public eye, becoming the country’s shortest-serving defence minister.
Both Li and Wei are expected to face indictments in their corruption cases.
Since last year, eight senior officers have been dismissed from the PLA rocket force, which oversees the country’s nuclear arsenal.


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China’s military

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left), also chairman of the Central Military Commission , presents a certificate to Chen Hui at a promotion ceremony in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

Miao Hua has been suspended from duty and is under investigation for “suspected serious disciplinary violations”, usually a euphemism for corruption. Photo: Handout

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun visited Vietnam this week to attend a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army. Photo: AFP

Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam meets Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun in Hanoi on Thursday. Photo: Weibo/沉默的山羊

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun back in public as Xi calls for military stability

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun reappears in public on Thursday. Photo: CCTV

Senior PLA ideology official Miao Hua under investigation for ‘serious discipline violations’

Miao Hua is under investigation and been suspended from duty. Photo: Handout

Miao Hua visits Pyongyang, North Korea in October 2019. Photo: AFP

News

China

Military

Chen, who has been promoted to general, replaces political commissar whose whereabouts are unknown


Chen, who has been promoted to general, replaces political commissar whose whereabouts are unknown.


China military reform