Expelled Chinese generals ‘disloyal’ and dealt ‘serious blow’ to armed forces: PLA Daily

Editorial’s scathing criticism of senior officers echoes language used when former defence chief Wei Fenghe was sacked last year

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He Weidong, then vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and member of the Politburo, attends the opening session of the National People’s Congress on March 5. Photo: AP

Published: 4:30pm, 18 Oct 2025Updated: 9:24am, 23 Oct 2025

China has accused the nine generals expelled from the Communist Party on Friday of seriously undermining the principle that the military should be loyal to the party, saying that they dealt a serious blow to the unity of the armed forces and the image of senior officers.

In an editorial published on Saturday, military mouthpiece PLA Daily said the disgraced nine – including He Weidong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and a member of the 24-man Politburo – had been “disloyal” and lost their “chastity”.

It further accused them of “a total collapse of their beliefs” as party members.

The accusation of disloyalty and moral degradation echoed language used last year when Wei Fenghe, a former defence minister, was expelled from the party and placed under investigation.

The peculiar wording of the accusation levelled against Wei sparked speculation as to whether he had been compromised by foreign forces, though the party released no details.

Saturday’s editorial said the nine generals had done serious damage to the principles that the party should command the army and that the army was accountable to the chairman of the CMC.

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