Who are the officers filling the big shoes left behind in PLA anti-corruption drive?

The Chinese military's sweeping anti-corruption drive has cleared the way for a new batch of officers to assume de facto leadership roles within key PLA bodies. According to an analysis by South China Morning Post, dozens of fresh commanders have taken over the positions left vacant by their ousted predecessors, positioning them to lead the world's largest standing army.

Many of these officers have recently been promoted from within their respective departments, with several attaining the rank of lieutenant general within the past year, despite their relative youth compared to their full general predecessors. A Chinese political expert noted that while these lieutenant generals have had a relatively short tenure, they are fulfilling the duties of full generals and will face challenges in adapting to higher perspectives and establishing leadership within their departments.

This internal shift comes at a pivotal moment for China's military and political trajectory, as the PLA celebrates its 99th anniversary and Beijing prepares to choose a new leadership line-up for both the party and the Central Military Commission.

Brief written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.