Chinese General Zhao Zongqi, one of the key military commanders involved in China's border tensions with India, has been removed from the country's top political advisory body.
Zhao has been removed from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and two other positions, according to Reuters.
He was the first commander of the Western Theatre Command, which looks after China's military operations along its western borders, including the border with India.
This new development is believed to be part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's wider corruption crackdown in the country's armed forces.
All about Zhao Zongqi
Zhao was born in 1955 in Heilongjiang province, China, and joined the PLA when he was just 16.
During the 1979 China-Vietnam War, Zhao fought on the western front. He took part in military operations around Lao Cai, Cam Duong and Sa Pa, according to The Paper.
He later studied Arabic at a PLA language institute from 1986 to 1988. After completing his studies, he worked as a military attache at the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania.
He returned to China in 1989 and took up several senior military positions. He became the first commander of a newly formed mountain brigade in 1990 and later served in the Tibet Military Region and commanded the PLA's 13th and 14th Group Armies.
In 2007, he became chief of staff of the Jinan Military Region. He was promoted to lieutenant general in 2009. In 2012, he became commander of the Jinan Military Region and joined the Communist Party's Central Committee. He was promoted to the rank of general in 2015.
In 2016, Zhao was chosen as the first commander of the Western Theatre Command. He was in charge during the 2017 Doklam standoff and the 2020 Galwan Valley clash with India.
On a personal front, Zhao reportedly enjoyed photography and used his camera to capture moments from military life. He also worked as a military adviser for the Chinese TV series "Soldiers Sortie" to help the makers with military-related details.
Separately, China has removed two top military officers from its highest military command.
Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and CMC member and Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli were removed from the state CMC after investigations into suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
The move leaves only two active members on the seven-member commission, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
