The move comes amid a major shake-up of China’s military leadership under President Xi Jinping.
AdvertisementZhao’s removal is significant for India because the Western Theatre Command oversees Chinese military operations across Tibet and Xinjiang and along a large part of China’s border with India.
Zhao and the Doklam standoffZhao became the first commander of the reorganised Western Theatre Command in February 2016.
Zhao was widely seen as the key PLA commander overseeing China’s military posture during the confrontation.
Galwan clash happened under ZhaoZhao was still heading the Western Theatre Command when tensions erupted in eastern Ladakh in 2020.
Zhao’s removal is significant for India because the Western Theatre Command oversees Chinese military operations across Tibet and Xinjiang and along a large part of China’s border with India
China has removed General Zhao Zongqi, the former commander of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Western Theatre Command, from the country’s top political advisory body.
Zhao was in charge of the theatre during the 2017 Doklam standoff and the 2020 eastern Ladakh crisis with India.
The move comes amid a major shake-up of China’s military leadership under President Xi Jinping. According to a Reuters report, Zhao was stripped of his membership of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and removed from two other positions.
Beijing has not given a reason for the decision or said whether Zhao is under investigation.
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Zhao’s removal is significant for India because the Western Theatre Command oversees Chinese military operations across Tibet and Xinjiang and along a large part of China’s border with India. His fall from political office also comes as Xi’s long-running campaign against corruption and disloyalty in the PLA has intensified.
Zhao and the Doklam standoff
Zhao became the first commander of the reorganised Western Theatre Command in February 2016. A year later, Chinese and Indian troops faced off at Doklam near the India-China-Bhutan trijunction.
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The 72-day confrontation began after Chinese troops attempted to extend a road in an area claimed by China and Bhutan. India intervened, citing security concerns and its commitments to Bhutan. The standoff eventually ended with both sides disengaging.
Zhao was widely seen as the key PLA commander overseeing China’s military posture during the confrontation. His political career, however, continued after Doklam, and he remained a member of the Communist Party’s Central Committee.
Galwan clash happened under Zhao
Zhao was still heading the Western Theatre Command when tensions erupted in eastern Ladakh in 2020.
The crisis began in May, when Chinese and Indian troops confronted each other at several points along the Line of Actual Control. On June 15, the confrontation at Galwan Valley turned deadly. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the clash.
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China acknowledged four PLA deaths, although later assessments suggested the actual Chinese casualties were significantly higher.
A US intelligence assessment, reported by US News & World Report and cited by India Today, alleged that Zhao had authorised the operation that led to the Galwan confrontation. The assessment said the move was intended to demonstrate Chinese strength and send a warning to India.
Zhao was replaced as Western Theatre commander in December 2020 after reaching retirement age.
Xi’s wider purge of the PLA
His removal now comes against the backdrop of an unusually broad purge of China’s military leadership.
Reuters reported that two other senior generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, were also removed from the Central Military Commission following investigations into suspected serious violations of discipline and law. Their removal has dramatically reduced the number of active members of the commission.
Xi launched his anti-corruption campaign after taking power in 2012. Over the years, the campaign has expanded across the PLA, targeting senior commanders as well as areas such as military procurement and defence institutions.
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The timing makes Zhao’s case notable. This comes weeks ahead of Xi Jinping's likely visit to New Delhi to participate in the Brics Summit.
Zhao was once one of the most important Chinese commanders dealing with India and oversaw two of the most serious military confrontations between the two countries in recent years.
His removal therefore adds another layer to Xi’s restructuring of the PLA.
