China promotes last military general to top party council

Chinese Communist Party leaders elected Gen. Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo on Thursday. Zhang is the only general remaining on the Central Military Commission.

The top governing body had lost all its military representatives after President Xi Jinping purged two high-ranking generals. Zhang now serves as vice chairman of the military commission and deputy secretary of its discipline inspection body.

During a four-day closed-door meeting, leaders adopted a resolution to strengthen internal discipline and anti-corruption efforts. The party stated that its tasks are increasingly difficult. It cited the need to unite the people to protect national sovereignty and development interests.

The resolution emphasizes self-governance and maintaining ideological purity. A summary from Xinhua News Agency said the party must maintain its close ties with the people. It also highlighted the need to enhance long-term governance capacity.

Xi Jinping has led a crackdown on corruption since taking power in 2012. Analysts note the current push includes targeting officials who underperform. Party members reviewed and confirmed the earlier removals of top officials during the meeting.

Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy, analyzed the meeting's attendance. He found that 74 percent of members were present. Thomas identified this as the lowest attendance rate since the era of Mao Zedong. The low turnout suggests wider-than-expected purges.

The meeting takes place about a year before Xi is expected to secure a fourth five-year term as party leader. The resolutions adopted will guide the party's direction for the coming years.