China has launched a major anti-corruption drive targeting its top military leadership, announcing on Friday that its second-highest-ranking general and eight other senior officials are under investigation for “serious violations” of party discipline.

According to Defence Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang, He Weidong, vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), has been expelled from the army along with eight other senior figures. The officials are accused of breaching internal discipline, a term widely understood to refer to corruption and misconduct.

Rumours had circulated for months about He Weidong’s disappearance from public view — he had not been seen since March — though no official explanation had been offered until now.

Among those named is Miao Hua, former head of the CMC’s Political Work Department, who was formally removed from his post earlier this year, according to Chinese state media.

Eight of the nine individuals expelled from the military were also dismissed from the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), Zhang confirmed. All had previously served on the Party’s elite Central Committee.

“The severe punishment of He Weidong, Miao Hua, and others once again demonstrates the Party Central Committee and the CMC’s unwavering resolve to persevere in the fight against corruption,” Zhang added, AFP reported.

Since coming to power more than a decade ago, President Xi Jinping has made combating graft one of the hallmarks of his rule. Xi has described corruption as “the biggest threat” to the Communist Party and has repeatedly warned that “the fight against corruption remains grave and complex.”

While supporters argue that Xi’s anti-corruption campaign has strengthened party discipline and transparency, critics say it has also served as a means to remove political rivals and consolidate power.

The announcement comes just days before the Communist Party’s key meeting on Monday — the Fourth Plenum — which will focus on economic planning for the upcoming five-year period through 2030.

The removal of such high-ranking military figures, including a CMC vice chairman, underscores both the depth of Xi’s control over the armed forces and the ongoing internal tensions within China’s political-military establishment. The timing — on the eve of a major policy meeting — signals the leadership’s determination to project unity and discipline amid growing economic and geopolitical challenges.