- General Zhao Zongqi removed from China’s top political advisory body.
- He oversaw western border operations during India-China tensions.
- Removal is part of an ongoing military anti-corruption campaign.
Chinese General Zhao Zongqi, a key military commander during China’s border tensions with India, has been removed from the country’s top political advisory body, according to Reuters.
Zhao has been stripped of his membership of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), along with two other positions.
Zhao was the first commander of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Western Theatre Command, which oversees China’s military operations along its western borders, including the frontier with India. He was in command during the 2017 Doklam standoff and the 2020 Galwan Valley clash with India.
Also Read: Chandigarh Influencer Manjeet Kaur Was 7 Weeks Pregnant When Allegedly Set Ablaze
His removal comes amid Chinese President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign targeting the military. Reuters reported that the military has been one of the main targets of the broader crackdown, which has seen several senior officials and generals investigated and removed.
Who Is Zhao Zongqi?
Born in 1955 in Heilongjiang province, Zhao joined the PLA at the age of 16. He fought on the western front during the 1979 China-Vietnam War and later studied Arabic at a PLA language institute.
After completing his studies, Zhao served as a military attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania before returning to China in 1989 and taking up several senior military positions.
He became the first commander of a newly formed mountain brigade in 1990 and later served in the Tibet Military Region. He also commanded the PLA’s 13th and 14th Group Armies.
In 2007, Zhao became chief of staff of the Jinan Military Region. He was promoted to lieutenant general in 2009 and became commander of the Jinan Military Region in 2012. He was promoted to the rank of general in 2015.
In 2016, Zhao was appointed the first commander of the Western Theatre Command. He remained a prominent figure in China’s military operations along its western borders.
China’s Military Purge Widens
Zhao’s removal comes alongside a major shake-up in China’s top military leadership.
China has removed two senior officers, Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and CMC member and Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli, from the state CMC following investigations into suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
The move leaves only two active members on the seven-member state CMC, including President Xi Jinping. However, Reuters noted that Zhang and Liu have not been formally or publicly stripped of their positions in the Communist Party’s CMC.
Separately, China’s top political advisory body removed Zhao from its membership on Wednesday.
Zhao’s Role In India-China Border Tensions
As Western Theatre Command chief, Zhao was responsible for China’s military operations along its western borders, including the area bordering India.
Also Read: UP Man Allegedly Throws Acid On Ex-Fiancée, Sister After Marriage Called Off Over Drug Addiction
His tenure included the 2017 Doklam standoff and the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, two major episodes in recent India-China border tensions.
