Zhang Shengmin, born in February 1958 in Shaanxi Province, China, is a senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) general and key figure in the nation's military leadership.[1][2][5] He joined the army at age 20 in 1978, rising through political commissar roles, primarily in the Second Artillery Force (now PLA Rocket Force), where he served as political commissar of a missile base, command college, and director of its political department in Beijing.[1][2][6] His career gained prominence in 2010 leading an earthquake relief team, earning recognition across military and administrative sectors.[1] In 2017, he was appointed secretary of the Central Military Commission's (CMC) Commission for Discipline Inspection and promoted to general, becoming the PLA's top anti-corruption enforcer.[1][2][3][6] Under his oversight, he spearheaded purges, including the removal of eight generals and targeting corruption in the Rocket Force, a major hotspot, while emerging unscathed himself.[1][2][4] A trusted loyalist to President Xi Jinping—sharing Shaanxi origins with the "Shaanxi Gang" alongside senior vice chairman Zhang Youxia—Zhang was elected to the 19th Central Committee in 2017.[1][3][4] Recently, following the Fourth Plenum of the 20th Party Congress, he was promoted to vice chairman of the CMC, replacing purged general He Weidong, making him China's third-highest military official after Xi and Zhang Youxia.[1][2][3][4] This role oversees military operations, personnel, and discipline, underscoring Xi's emphasis on loyalty and anti-corruption continuity amid ongoing PLA purges since 2023.[2][3][4][5] Lacking combat experience, Zhang's expertise spans political work, logistics, and Rocket Force operations, positioning him as a pivotal enforcer of party loyalty in the military.[2][4][6] (298 words)