The military plates campaign, announced this year, is being attributed to Xi Jinping, the new leader of China. Mr. Xi, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made fighting corruption a hallmark of the early months of his administration. Corruption is one of the main sources of animus directed by Chinese at the Communist Party. Mr. Xi has said corruption threatens the very existence of the party — and that he will pursue both “tigers and flies.”

Burnishing the military’s image is part of that campaign. Under Mao Zedong, the army had a reputation for honorable conduct and ascetic living, in contrast to the reputed decadence of officers of the Kuomintang, which the Communists fought to take over China. But in recent years, military officers have become known for a high-flying lifestyle.

Xinhua said replacing the military plates was only “a starting point for the military and government to curb corruption.”

“Those who use military vehicles must follow the government’s call to improve their work style, reduce extravagance and cultivate a more frugal and hard-working image,” Xinhua said.

The military began issuing the new plates on Sunday. That day, the People’s Liberation Army Daily ran an op-ed article by Xin Shihong that said: “In this age of the Internet, the moment a military car drives out of the barracks, its every move is under public scrutiny. Every word and action of the driver and passengers are carefully monitored.”

In Beijing, a resident of a complex of high-end apartments known as Central Park said military plates on luxury cars had once been common, but the plates had mostly disappeared after the policy was announced.

China is a huge and growing market for luxury carmakers, and it is unclear how the new policy on military plates and the general crackdown on wasteful spending by officials will affect the market. Stephen Green, head of Greater China research for Standard Chartered Bank, said he had heard that government purchases accounted for roughly 10 to 15 percent of all car sales in China. He said he did not have a breakdown for luxury car sales.