Revocation of CPPCC membership – rather than resignation – typically signals suspicions of serious disciplinary violations, or worse, corruption charges.

Those removed from the advisory body include four former senior executives of military-related state-owned enterprises (SOEs). There has been no official statement about any corruption investigations into these individuals yet, though some of them have not been seen in public for months.

They are the latest to fall from grace as President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign targets the People’s Liberation Army and its weapons and equipment suppliers, leading to the removal of dozens of top generals and senior executives.

Among the four are Cao Jianguo, former chairman of Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) – a key supplier of engines for military and commercial aircraft.