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

The sweeping anti-corruption drive in China’s military appears to have cleared the way for a new batch of officers to quietly assume de facto leadership of key People’s Liberation Army bodies.According to a China-morning-post" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="12558" data-entity-type="organization">South China Morning Post analysis of official insignia and protocol seating from state media coverage of recent meetings, dozens of fresh commanders have stepped into the roles of their ousted predecessors, positioning them to lead the world’s largest standing army.Many have assumed major portfolios previously held by full generals, having recently been promoted from within their respective departments. Several others attained the rank of lieutenant general less than a year ago, according to the SCMP tally, even though they are roughly the age their full general predecessors were when assuming the same leadership roles.President Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, poses with CMC vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin (front row), and the newly promoted Zhang Shuguang (back row, left) and Wang Gang, in Beijing on July 3. Photo: Xinhua“Many of them have had a relatively short tenure as lieutenant generals, but they are fulfilling the duties of full generals,” noted a Chinese political expert who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.