Senior Chinese Military Leaders Absent From Key Party Seminar, Raising Questions

Several senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and military officials were notably absent on Jan. 19 from the opening of a high-level political seminar tied to the CCP’s upcoming Fourth Plenum, fueling speculation among analysts amid China’s opaque political system.

According to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), the seminar for provincial- and ministerial-level officials related to the CCP’s 20th Central Committee Fourth Plenum opened on Jan. 20 at the Central Party School in Beijing. Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

Unexplained Absences Draw Attention

CCTV reported that attendees included members of the CCP Politburo, secretaries of the Secretariat of the CCP, vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC), senior officials of the National People’s Congress and State Council, the presidents of China’s top court and procuratorate, and senior figures from the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

However, footage aired by CCTV showed that several high-ranking officials were absent, including CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia, CMC member and Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli, Central Organization Department head Shi Taifeng, former Xinjiang party secretary Ma Xingrui, and Vice Premier He Lifeng.

The CCP has confirmed that He is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 19 to Jan. 22. Ma has been absent from multiple major events in recent months and has been widely rumored to be under investigation, although no official announcement has been made. The reasons for the absences of Zhang, Liu, and Shi were not disclosed.

Among military leaders, newly appointed CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin and Defense Minister Dong Jun were seen attending the event.

The unexplained absences sparked discussion among China observers, especially over CMC members Zhang Youxia and Liu. However, many noted that the likelihood that Zhang Youxia was sidelined appeared low.

Zhang Youxia’s absence is significant because he is widely viewed as an opponent of Xi and holds the position of a senior operational military officer in the regime.

Chinese current affairs commentator Li Linyi told The Epoch Times that the simultaneous absence of multiple senior figures without official explanation was unusual. He noted that in China’s closed political environment, senior officials typically miss major events because of either political struggles or health issues, but multiple unexplained absences at once warrant close observation.

The developments come amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign within the Chinese military. In October 2025, the CCP announced the expulsion of nine senior generals, including former CMC Vice Chairman He Weidong, Miao Hua, and Lin Xiangyang. The communiqué from the Fourth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee on Oct. 23 confirmed that He Weidong and Miao Hua had been expelled from the CCP. The regime’s military newspaper the following day said the investigations demonstrated that corruption would not be tolerated within the armed forces and claimed that the cases had eliminated “major political risks.”

The CCP has not commented publicly on the reasons for the absences on Jan. 19.

Tang Bing contributed to this report.