Record Absences at Chinas Top Anti-Corruption Body Amid Military Shake-Up

A record number of members of China’s top anti-corruption body were absent from its latest plenary session, including more than half of its military members, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to reshuffle senior personnel within the military’s political and disciplinary system.The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) top disciplinary watchdog, held its sixth plenary session of the current five-year term in Beijing on Aug. 22, with 116 of its 133 members attending and more than 10 percent absent, according to Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency. This is the lowest attendance recorded since the current body was formed in late 2022.The number of military representatives missing was disproportionately high, with 60 percent missing. There were 22 military members when the current commission was formed, and 13 did not attend the plenary, according to a review of a state CCTV broadcast of the event.The absences come as the CCP leadership continues its reshuffle of senior officers across the military’s political and disciplinary system.Lack of Military PresenceSeveral of the absent officers previously held senior political or disciplinary positions in the military. Some had also attended the CCDI’s previous plenary session in January but were absent this time.Three military officials who attended the January meeting, Air Force Lt. Gen. Yu Yonghong, Air Force Maj. Gen. Zhang Tianbao, and Army Maj. Gen. Wang Hongyan, were among those absent on Aug. 22.Eight other military members who missed the latest meeting had also been absent from the January session, according to the review of CCTV footage.The unusually large number of military absences comes against the backdrop of extensive personnel changes within the Chinese military.Zhang Shengmin’s Status Remains UnclearAmong the most notable absences on Aug. 22 was Zhang Shengmin, who currently still holds the titles of vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and a deputy secretary of the CCDI.However, his position as deputy secretary of the CCDI is in question, as he was removed from his previously held position of secretary of the military’s Discipline Inspection Commission, the military’s top internal disciplinary body, in July.He had served in that position for years, and was promoted to vice chairman of the Central Military Commission in October 2025 while holding that position.He was replaced by Zhang Shuguang, who was promoted to a full general and also appointed as head of the military’s supervisory commission.Traditionally, the secretary of the military’s Discipline Inspection Commission also serves as a deputy secretary of the CCDI. However, no official announcement regarding Zhang Shengmin’s title has been made since his removal as secretary.He has since been repeatedly absent from meetings of the CCDI’s Standing Committee, although he did attend the CCDI’s fifth plenary session in January.The latest meeting did not resolve the question of whether Zhang Shengmin will retain his formal position within the CCDI, despite having been removed from his military disciplinary post.However, of the nine military members to attend the plenary session, Zhang Shuguang was one of them, along with senior political and disciplinary officers from the navy, air force, army, and People’s Armed Police.CCDI Attendance Hits New LowThe decline in attendance was not limited to military members.The current CCDI began its five-year term with 133 members. At its first plenary session in October 2022, 132 attended. Attendance fell to 127 at the second session in January 2023 before rising to 132 and 131 at the third and fourth sessions, respectively.At the fifth plenary session in January this year, 120 members attended.That figure fell to 116 at the Aug. 22 meeting, marking the lowest attendance of the current CCDI.The unusually high number of absences, particularly among military members, comes as the CCP continues to adjust the leadership of its armed forces and disciplinary institutions.For now, the Party has not provided any public explanation for the absences or clarified Zhang Shengmin’s status.Dongfang Hao contributed to this report.