Unexplained Absence of Chinese Military University Chief Fuels Scrutiny of Leadership Reshuffle

Chinese military officers go through a security check as they arrive at the opening session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2026. Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty ImagesA senior leader at one of China’s top military research universities has been out of public view for nearly six months, as a series of quiet personnel changes reshapes the institution’s leadership.Major General Yong Chenggang recently made his first public appearance under a new title—“head of military affairs” at China’s National University of Defense Technology (NUDT)—a role traditionally held by the university’s president. The development suggests that the current president, Major General Li Xiang, is no longer in the post, although the Chinese regime has issued no formal announcement.A New Face Emerges in a Key RoleYong appeared in his new capacity on April 27 at an academic conference hosted by Renmin University in Beijing, according to the university’s official website. The event brought together more than 30 senior officials from the regime’s ministries, the Central Military Commission, and academia.