Zhang Shengmin Joins Politburo as Xi Tightens Party Control

Communist Party leaders in Bangkok on Thursday voted to add Gen. Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo, the highest decision-making body in China. Zhang is the only remaining general on the Central Military Commission after President Xi Jinping removed two senior peers from the group.

The move ends a period where the Politburo lacked direct representation from the People's Liberation Army. Zhang currently serves as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. He also holds a disciplinary role as deputy secretary of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection, giving him oversight over internal military conduct.

The decision emerged from a four-day closed-door plenum meeting. The gathering took place roughly one year before the next leadership selection, where Xi is expected to seek a fourth five-year term. Party members reviewed and confirmed earlier personnel changes during the session.

The leadership also adopted a new resolution focused on party discipline and anti-corruption. The document describes the current tasks as increasingly arduous. It calls for uniting the population to protect national sovereignty, security, and development interests. The party aims to enhance its long-term governance capacity while maintaining ideological purity.

Xi has led a sustained anti-corruption campaign since assuming power in 2012. Analysts note that the current crackdown now targets underperforming officials in addition to corrupt ones. The resolution emphasizes the need for close ties between the party and the public.

Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy, analyzed the plenum attendance figures. He calculated a 74 percent attendance rate, which he identified as the lowest since the era of former leader Mao Zedong. Thomas described the purges as wider than previously anticipated based on the missing members.

The party published a summary of the resolution through the official Xinhua News Agency. The text outlines the strategic direction for the coming years. It prioritizes self-governance and structural discipline within the ruling body.