Defense Ministry Probes Two Top Generals, Leaving CMC In Flux
Defense Ministry announced Jan. 24 that Gen. Zhang Youxia and Gen. Liu Zhenli are under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
Overview
China's Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 24 that Gen. Zhang Youxia, CMC vice chair, and Gen. Liu Zhenli, Joint Staff chief, are under investigation for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law," officials confirmed.
The action leaves only one of six uniformed Central Military Commission members intact and raises questions about command continuity and Beijing's posture toward Taiwan, analysts said.
The People's Liberation Army Daily framed the probes as punishment for corruption, while an unverified foreign briefing alleged that Zhang leaked nuclear data to the U.S., allegations not independently verified.
Records show that since 2012 at least 17 PLA generals have been removed from military positions and the anti-corruption drive has disciplined more than 200,000 officials, officials and analysts said.
It is unclear whether Xi Jinping will fill the five vacant CMC slots before the 2027 Communist Party Central Committee selection, and K. Tristan Tang said Xi faces no immediate pressure to do so.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as both an anti-corruption action and political consolidation under Xi, using the loaded term “purge” in headlines, juxtaposing official state-media claims with expert warnings about loyalty-building and Taiwan risks, emphasizing institutional disruption while noting limited publicly available evidence.
Sources (17)
FAQ
Gen. Zhang Youxia is the vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and a member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau. Gen. Liu Zhenli is the chief of staff of the CMC Joint Staff Department.[1]
They are under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, as announced by China's Defense Ministry on January 24.
The investigations leave only one of the six uniformed CMC members intact, raising concerns about command continuity.
An unverified foreign briefing alleged Zhang leaked nuclear data to the U.S. and built personal influence networks within the CMC, but these claims are not independently confirmed.[3]
This is part of an ongoing anti-corruption drive since 2012, which has disciplined over 200,000 officials and removed at least 17 PLA generals.
It is unclear if Xi Jinping will fill the five vacant CMC slots before the 2027 Communist Party Central Committee selection, with no immediate pressure to do so.[1]
History
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