He Weidong

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In this Chinese name, the family name is He.
He Weidong
何卫东
Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission
In office
Party Commission:
23 October 2022 – 17 October 2025
State Commission:
11 March 2023 – 28 October 2025
Serving with Zhang Youxia
ChairmanXi Jinping
Preceded byXu Qiliang
Succeeded byZhang Shengmin
Commander of the Eastern Theater Command
In office
December 2019 – January 2022
Preceded byLiu Yuejun
Succeeded byLin Xiangyang
Commander of the Western Theater Command Ground Force
In office
February 2016 – December 2019
Preceded byNew title
Succeeded byXu Qiling
Commander of the Shanghai Garrison Command
In office
March 2014 – February 2016
Preceded byPeng Shuigen
Succeeded byZhang Xiaoming
Commander of the Jiangsu Military District
In office
July 2013 – March 2014
Preceded bySun Xinliang
Succeeded byLi Kerang
Personal details
BornMay 1957 (age 68)
Nanping, Fujian, China
Political partyChinese Communist Party (expelled in 2025)
Alma materPLA Nanjing Army Command College
National University of Defense Technology
Military service
Allegiance People's Republic of China
Branch/service People's Liberation Army Ground Force
Years of service1972–2025
Rank General (stripped 2025)
CommandsEastern Theater Command
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese何衛東
Simplified Chinese何卫东
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHé Wèidōng

He Weidong (Chinese: 何卫东; born May 1957) is a former general (shangjiang) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) who served as the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party and member of the 20th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party from October 2022 until his removal on 17 October 2025.

He served as commander of the Eastern Theater Command from 2019 to 2022. He was promoted to the rank of major general (shaojiang) in July 2008, lieutenant general (zhongjiang) in July 2017 and general (shangjiang) in December 2019. He was considered to have been a part of the Fujian clique of the Xi Jinping faction within the CCP.[1]

He was dismissed by from his position of Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission sometime during 2025; expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army on 17 October 2025. He was replaced by Zhang Shengmin.

Education

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He was born in Nanping, Fujian, with ancestry was in the town of Xuhe, in Dongtai, Jiangsu in May 1957. In 1981 he graduated from PLA Nanjing Army Command College. In 2001 he entered the National University of Defense Technology.[2]

Military career

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He enlisted in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in December 1972 after middle school. He was Commander of Jiangsu Military District in July 2013 and Shanghai Garrison Command in March 2014. In February 2015 he succeeded Zhu Shengling as a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[3] In July 2016 he was transferred to Deputy Commander of the Western Theater Command and Commander of the Western Theater Command Ground Force.[4] On February 24, 2018, he was elected as a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress.[5] In September 2019, he was promoted to become Commander of the Eastern Theater Command, replacing Liu Yuejun.[6][7]

Vice chairman of the Central Military Commission

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In October 2022, Zhang was named as a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and the second-ranking vice chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission. He also became the vice chairman of the state CMC in March 2023.[8][9]

In January 2024, at the annual meeting of the disciplinary inspectors of the PLA, He said the military should "adhere to a strict tone, use stricter standards to scrutinize the key few, and show determination to get to the bottom of long-standing [corruption] problems". He also called on the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection to maintain loyalty and support to CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping.[10] In March, during a discussion with a PLA delegation, He called on crackdowns on "fake combat capabilities".[11]

Downfall

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In April 2025, the Financial Times reported that He had been arrested, placed under anti-corruption investigations and was removed from his post as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.[12][13] At the funeral of the former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang on 7 June 2025, no wreath from He was present, sparking speculation on whether he was removed from his post.[14] On October 17, 2025, the Ministry of National Defense announced that He was expelled from the CCP and the PLA for "serious violations of discipline and law".[15] He was replaced by Zhang Shengmin.[16]

He, along with eight other senior military officials, was investigated and punished for "serious violations of Party discipline and law" and "suspected of major duty-related crimes".[17] A spokesperson for the Defense Ministry stated that the violations involved "exceptionally large amounts of money" and were of an "extremely serious nature and with extremely negative impacts".[18] Reports indicated that He Weidong's expulsion was also linked to accusations of political disloyalty and personal misconduct described by official sources as "loss of chastity," suggesting violations of party discipline beyond financial corruption.[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fravel, M. Taylor (18 July 2025). "Is China's Military Ready for War?". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  2. ^ "新晋上将何卫东任东部战区司令、李凤彪任战略支援部队司令". 司令员_新浪财经_新浪网 (in Chinese). 12 December 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  3. ^ Yang Lina (杨丽娜); Chang Xuemei (常雪梅) (13 February 2015). 上海警备区司令员何卫东任上海市委委员、常委. people.com.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  4. ^ Yue Huairang (岳怀让) (8 July 2016). 上海警备区原司令员何卫东少将升任西部战区陆军司令员. thepaper (in Chinese). Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  5. ^ "(受权发布)中华人民共和国第十三届全国人民代表大会代表名单". China News Service (in Chinese). 25 February 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  6. ^ 7人晋升上将军衔 何卫东升任东部战区司令(图). sina.com.cn (in Chinese). 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  7. ^ Yu Hui (余辉) (18 March 2022). 将军履新!中部战区原司令员上将林向阳重回东部战区. sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  8. ^ Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2022 (PDF). Arlington, VA: U.S. Department of Defense. 2022. p. 42.
  9. ^ Hart, Brian (12 October 2022). "How Did the 20th Party Congress Impact China's Military?". ChinaPower Project. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  10. ^ Zheng, William (13 January 2024). "China's military graft-busters told to 'scrutinise the key few' powerful officials". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  11. ^ Wang, Amber (9 March 2024). "Chinese general calls for crackdown on 'fake combat capabilities' in the military". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  12. ^ Sevastopulo, Demetri (10 April 2025). "Top Chinese general removed in latest Xi Jinping purge". Financial Times. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Top Chinese military official close to Xi rumored to have been arrested". Newsweek. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  14. ^ "前军委副主席许其亮告别式举行 何卫东未送花圈". Sing Tao. 8 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  15. ^ "China Ousts Top Military Officials as Xi Widens Corruption Purge". Bloomberg News. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  16. ^ "张升民升任中共中央军委副主席". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  17. ^ "China expels second-highest ranking general, 8 others over corruption". Business Standard. 18 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  18. ^ "China expels He Weidong, Miao Hua and 7 other generals from party and military". scmp.com. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  19. ^ "Sacked Chinese generals 'disloyal', dealt 'serious blow' to military: PLA Daily". South China Morning Post. 18 October 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.