Changing of the guard in China
World’s largest military continues to modernize
BEIJING — China has begun a major reshuffle at the top of the People’s Liberation Army before next month’s leadership transition, as the world’s largest military force continues its modernization.
The first major moves in the overhaul, in which seven of the country’s top 10 generals will soon reach retirement age and be replaced, were announced Tuesday. The PLA appointed a new air force commander and a new head to its general political department, which is responsible for army morale, personnel changes and loyalty to the Communist Party.
Beijing’s political and military analysts have been searching for clues about the changes, which will set the direction for China’s 2.3-million-strong armed forces for the next five years.
Observers noted Gen. Zhang Yang, 61, a dark horse who had been based in the southern Guangzhou military region, was photographed at a Beijing theatre standing only two spaces away from an actor playing Karl Marx on a stage. They speculated from this that he was likely to be the next head of the general political department and their prediction proved accurate Tuesday.
His promotion may have come at the expense of two generals with perceived ties to the disgraced pol- itician Bo Xilai: Gen. Liu Yuan and Gen. Zhang Haiyang.
The new head of the air force is Gen. Ma Xiaotian, 63, who has been outspoken, at times, about the increasing U.S. presence in Asia.
In 2010, he accused the U.S. of trying to revive a “cold war mentality” and earlier this year warned that the South China Sea, where Beijing is engaged in a series of territorial disputes with its neighbours, was “not America’s business.”
Both men will win a seat on the Central Military Commission, which is composed of 10 generals and two politicians.
It is now chaired by Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, and there has been speculation that he will try to remain in charge after handing over his other roles to Xi Jinping, the vice-president and vice-chairman of the military commission.
Elsewhere, however, it will be all change, with seven of the commission’s 10 generals reaching retire- ment age of 67 after the Communist Party’s 18th congress early next month.
Many were loyal to Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese president who still wields a strong influence at the top of the party, and the forthcoming changes are likely to reflect the shifting factions inside the party.