China puts last top general into ruling Politburo

Beijing's highest governing body now includes a military leader again. On Thursday, the Chinese Communist Party elected Gen. Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo. This move ends a period where the People's Liberation Army had no direct representation in the party's top decision-making circle.

Zhang currently serves as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. He also acts as deputy secretary of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection. His elevation follows the removal of two other senior generals from top roles. Those purges left Zhang as the only remaining general on the military commission besides President Xi Jinping.

The decision came out of a four-day closed-door session held in Bangkok. Top party officials used the meeting to adopt resolutions on self-governance and anti-corruption. These guidelines are set to direct party policy for the next several years. The timing is notable as Xi is widely expected to win a fourth five-year term as party leader within the next year.

A summary of the resolution described the party's upcoming tasks as increasingly arduous. The document called for uniting the public to protect national sovereignty and development interests. It emphasized the need to root out corruption and maintain ideological purity. The party stated it must keep close ties with the population while enhancing its long-term governance capacity.

Xi has led an anti-corruption campaign since taking power in 2012. Analysts note that the current crackdown has expanded its scope. It now targets officials who are underperforming, not just those accused of financial misconduct. This shift aims to tighten control over the party's administrative machinery.

Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy, analyzed the meeting's attendance records. He found that only 74 percent of eligible delegates were present. Thomas noted that this is the lowest turnout since the era of former leader Mao Zedong. The low attendance suggests that the recent personnel changes were more extensive than initially reported.

Party members formally confirmed the earlier purges of top officials during the session. The plenum reviewed the removals and ratified the new leadership structure. The meeting concluded without further public announcements regarding specific policy timelines or economic targets.