Two top PLA Air Force officers have become the latest military brass to miss a key political event, as the anti-corruption campaign in the Chinese military continues unabated.
Footage broadcast by state television CCTV indicated that General Chang Dingqiu and Guo Puxiao, Air Force commander and political commissar, respectively, were not present at a ceremony on Monday to fill top-level vacancies caused by the sweeping crackdown.
The event in Beijing was led by President Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the top command body for China’s armed forces.General Chang Dingqiu has for years been the youngest officer at his rank. Photo: Xinhua
Chang, 58, has long been viewed as a rising military star on a fast track to promotion. He was for many years the youngest officer at his rank, including when he was promoted to Air Force commander in August 2021 at age 54.
Chang’s profile on the Chinese search engine Baidu has been inaccessible since last week.
Beijing has made no statement on Chang’s status. His last public appearance was in October, in official coverage of the fourth plenary session for the sitting Central Committee of the Communist Party. He attended as a full member of the committee, which is China’s top policymaking body.
The absence of Chang recalls those of other PLA generals, including the commanders of the PLA ground force and the navy, both of whom have not been seen in public for months and also missed October’s party conclave.
