By Li Deyan, Vision Times
On Feb. 25, China’s 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee held its 21st session in Beijing, but the unusually high number of absences, including two senior military figures, has drawn attention amid ongoing turbulence within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
According to state media outlet Xinhua, 152 members attended the first plenary meeting of the session, presided over by NPC Chairman Zhao Leji. Yet based on official figures, the 14th NPC Standing Committee originally consisted of 175 members. After eight members had their qualifications revoked and two resigned, the body currently stands at 165 members, meaning 13 were absent.
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Rumors of infighting
Observers noted that at least two PLA generals, He Ping and Zheng Weiping, were absent from the meeting. Both previously held senior political commissar posts and currently serve as deputy directors of key NPC committees.
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He Ping, born in November 1957 in Sichuan Province, is a deputy director of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee. His military résumé includes service as political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command and deputy political commissar of the Western Theater Command. He relinquished his Eastern Theater Command post in June 2023.
Zheng Weiping, born in July 1955 in Shanxi Province, is deputy director of the NPC Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee. He served as political commissar of the former Nanjing Military Region, later becoming the first political commissar of the newly established Eastern Theater Command in 2016. He was promoted to full general in July 2015 and retired from active service in December 2020.
Both generals attended the NPC Standing Committee’s 19th session in December 2025, making their absence at the latest meeting particularly notable.
Ties to Xi’s military circle
Public records show that both He Ping and Zheng Weiping worked alongside senior officers widely viewed as close to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, including He Weidong and Lin Xiangyang.
He Ping served in the Western Theater Command from 2016 to 2017, during which time He Weidong held senior command roles there. Later, from 2017 to 2023, He Ping was political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command. During part of that period, He Weidong served as commander of the same theater, followed by Lin Xiangyang, who assumed the command in 2022 before reportedly falling from favor in 2025.
Similarly, Zheng Weiping overlapped with He Weidong during their respective tenures in the former Nanjing Military Region and later within the Eastern Theater Command structure. Their professional intersections spanned several years. Given these overlapping career paths, both generals were widely seen as having operated within circles influenced by Xi’s military appointments.
Sweeping personnel changes
The NPC Standing Committee has already undergone multiple personnel adjustments. Eight members have had their qualifications revoked in recent months, including former Air Force commander Ding Laihang and former Rocket Force commander Zhou Yaning, among others. Two additional members resigned voluntarily.
Although absences at NPC sessions are not uncommon, the presence or absence of senior military figures has taken on heightened significance following recent investigations into high-ranking PLA officials.
At present, no official explanation has been provided regarding the absence of He Ping and Zheng Weiping. Chinese authorities have not announced any disciplinary actions or changes related to the two men.
An atmosphere of uncertainty
The absence of two senior generals with past ties to influential military leaders comes against the backdrop of broader scrutiny within China’s armed forces. Over the past several years, a number of senior officers have been removed, investigated, or reassigned in high-profile anti-corruption campaigns.
Whether the latest absences signal routine scheduling conflicts, internal reshuffling, or deeper developments remains unclear. In China’s tightly controlled political environment, where personnel decisions are often announced only after the fact, such unexplained gaps tend to fuel speculation.
For now, the lack of transparency leaves questions unanswered, but underscores once again how closely political observers are watching even subtle shifts within China’s military and legislative ranks.