How long will China's top military body remain hollowed out?

How long will China's top military body remain hollowed out?

 
How  Chinese leader Xi Jinping will handle the governance of the People's Liberation Army ahead of a key Communist Party meeting? The Central Military Commission, the top military organ, used to have seven members but now has only Chairman Xi and Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin. Former top uniformed officer Zhang Youxia and four other members have been purged for alleged corruption.

Zhang Shengmin has spent much of his PLA career in discipline inspection and political work. So there is no one left in the CMC who can advise Xi from a professional standpoint when he decides on military deployments.

The Communist Party will hold the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee on Oct. 26-29 under the theme of "full and rigorous Party self-governance." It remains to be seen if Xi will take this opportunity to appoint new CMC members or leave the organ hollowed out.