Zhang Shengmin, Xi’s lone ‘hatchet man’ at the top of China’s military

BEIJING, Nov 1 — Zhang Shengmin, the last general remaining in the highest echelon of China’s military, has received an unexpected promotion to the Politburo, the rarefied group of about 20 Communist Party officials who run the country.

It is a significant milestone for the 68-year-old, who has risen from his modest upbringing to become a quiet architect of President Xi Jinping’s decade-long anti-corruption campaign.

Zhang joined the People’s Liberation Army aged 19, in 1978 — a time when China was beginning to move past the chaos of the Cultural Revolution and open itself to the world.

His surprise elevation on Thursday, after a major party meeting, has drawn attention to the loyal Xi supporter whose image often appears in the news but whose voice is rarely heard.

Zhang is vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the body that directs the armed forces and is headed by Xi himself.

From 2017 until July this year, Zhang headed the CMC’s Discipline Inspection Commission, which leads anti-corruption work inside the military.

Under his authority, an unprecedented number of high-ranking officers have been removed from their posts, leaving just two members of the seven-strong commission remaining: Zhang and Xi.

China’s armed forces have faced a range of corruption scandals over promotions, equipment contracts and budgets, problems that hinder its operations and modernisation, according to Xi.

Since Xi began his third term in 2023, some of the most prominent ousters have included former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, as well as Zhang Youxia, formerly China’s most powerful general, who fell from grace this year.

As Xi’s “hatchet man” in the forces, Zhang Shengmin’s “track record is clear for all to see in view of how the Chinese military at present is only left with a handful of 3-star generals”, said James Char, an expert on the Chinese military at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

“He has spent almost a whole decade in charge of cleaning up the Chinese military… (and) likely Zhang has his commander-in-chief’s trust,” Char added.

The timing of the promotion is also unusual: Politburo appointments typically happen at party congresses held once every five years, while the last mid-term promotion was in 1994.

Like most Chinese officials, the grey-haired, stern-faced Zhang Shengmin keeps a low profile, and little is known about his personal life.

He was trained as an artillery officer, but his official biography does not mention courses of study, professional experience or time abroad. His personal interests are also not publicly known.

“The thing that marks him out is political loyalty to the party (centre)… rather than military professionalism,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, referring to Xi.

Zhang is careful to remain firmly in his boss’ shadow.

At a military gala held for the Lunar New Year festival this year, Zhang could be seen standing several metres (feet) behind Xi as the president shook hands with retired officers.

“Zhang is also cautious about being perceived as being in the limelight,” Char told AFP.

“Since the removals of his CMC colleagues… Zhang has been intentionally unobtrusive at official events with his CMC chairman.” — AFP

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北京，11 月 1 日——中国军队最高层仅存的将军张胜民意外晋升为政治局委员，政治局是由约 20 名共产党官员组成的精英团体，负责管理国家。

对于这位 68 岁的老人来说，这是一个重要的里程碑。他出身卑微，却成为了习近平主席长达十年的反腐运动中一位默默无闻的策划者。

张在1978年加入中国人民解放军，当时他19岁——正值中国开始走出文化大革命的混乱局面，并向世界开放之际。

周四，在一次重要的党内会议后，他出人意料地被提拔，这引起了人们对这位忠诚的习近平支持者的关注。他的形象经常出现在新闻中，但他的声音却很少被听到。

张是中央军委副主席，中央军委是指挥军队的机构，由习近平本人担任主席。

从 2017 年到今年 7 月，张一鸣担任中央军委纪律检查委员会主任，该委员会负责领导军队内部的反腐败工作。

在他的领导下，前所未有的大量高级官员被免职，七人委员会中只剩下两人：张和席。

习近平表示，中国军队在晋升、装备合同和预算方面面临一系列腐败丑闻，这些问题阻碍了军队的作战和现代化进程。

自习近平2023年开始第三个任期以来，一些最引人注目的下台者包括前国防部长魏凤和和李尚福，以及今年失势的中国前最有权势的将军张有侠。

新加坡南洋理工大学中国军事专家詹姆斯·查尔表示，作为习近平在军队中的“刽子手”，张胜民的“过往记录有目共睹，因为中国军队目前只剩下寥寥几位三星将军”。

“他花了近十年时间负责整顿中国军队……（而且）张很可能得到了总司令的信任，”查尔补充道。

此次晋升的时机也不同寻常：政治局委员的任命通常在每五年一次的党代会上进行，而上一次中期晋升是在 1994 年。

与大多数中国官员一样，头发花白、表情严肃的张胜民为人低调，外界对他个人生活知之甚少。

他接受过炮兵军官训练，但他的官方传记中并未提及学习课程、专业经历或海外服役经历。他的个人兴趣爱好也鲜为人知。

伦敦大学亚非学院中国研究所所长曾志伟在谈到习近平时说：“他与众不同的地方在于他对党（中间派）的政治忠诚……而不是军事专业精神。”

张小心翼翼地让自己始终活在老板的光环之下。

在今年农历新年举行的军人联欢会上，可以看到张某站在习近平主席身后几米（英尺）处，当时习近平主席正在与退役军官握手。

“张先生也很谨慎，不希望被视为公众人物，”Char告诉法新社。

“自从中央军委同僚被撤职后……张一鸣在与中央军委主席一同出席的官方活动中一直刻意保持低调。”——法新社

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