China strips Galwan clash commander, ahead of Xi Jinping's expected visit!

China's top political advisory body, the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has officially stripped former Western Theatre Command chief General Zhao Zongqi of his membership. General Zhao led the People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces during the tense 2017 Doklam confrontation and the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash along the border with India. In addition to losing his CPPCC membership, Zhao was dismissed from his advisory role as deputy director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee.

This removal aligns with broader, severe political disruptions occurring inside Beijing's top military hierarchy. Concurrently, two prominent senior commanders—General Zhang Youxia and General Liu Zhenli—were removed from China's supreme military command body, the Central Military Commission (CMC). Together, these high-profile removals underscore President Xi Jinping's ongoing, extensive campaign aimed at purging corrupt figures and reorganizing the leadership of the armed forces.