Azernews.Az

China has sacked six People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers, former financial regulator head Li Yunze and recently probed ​Politburo member Ma Xingrui of its national legislature, South China Morning Post reported on Saturday, AzerNEWS reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

According to a notice issued on Friday by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, 13 members of the legislature have been removed, while one has resigned.

Some of the PLA commanders were reportedly already the subject of an investigation.

The removed military lawmakers included Gen. ​Xu Xueqiang, who has been the head of the Equipment Development ‌Department ⁠of the Central Military Commission, a top military body tasked with overseeing the development, acquisition, and testing of equipment for the PLA.

Xu, who has also ​been commander-in-chief of ​China's Manned ⁠Space Program since 2022, missed a major party meeting in October.

Among other sacked officers are Gen. Li Fengbiao, who had served as political ​commissar of the PLA Western Theatre Command, ​and ⁠Gen. Guo Puxiao, who had been the political commissar of the PLA Air Force, as well as the ⁠Eastern ​Theatre Command's Wang Kangping, Cyberspace Force's ​Zhang Minghua, and the army's Yin Hongxing.

The latest expulsions come amid President Xi Jinping's years-long anti-corruption campaign that has seen many top generals and senior officials investigated and removed.

Overall, roughly 52% of senior PLA positions have seen officials investigated or purged in recent years, reflecting an unprecedented shake-up under Xi.

In February, nine senior military officials were removed from the National People’s Congress.