China’s ruling Communist Party has launched an investigation into two of the country’s top military leaders, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, over suspected serious violations of discipline and law, the defence ministry announced on Saturday.
Who is Zhang Youxia?
Zhang is a member of the powerful Politburo and serves as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), which is China’s highest military command body.
Zhang, 75, is known as a major figure in China’s military modernisation and is widely regarded as President Xi Jinping’s closest ally within the armed forces. He is one of only a few senior officers with actual combat experience. As one of the two vice-chairmen of the CMC, he has been at the heart of military decision-making.
Who is Liu Zhenli?
Liu is the chief of staff of the CMC Joint Staff Department. Both hold key roles in the command structure of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Anti-corruption drive in the China military
The PLA has been a major focus of the anti-corruption campaign launched by Xi in 2012. The effort intensified in 2023 when the Rocket Force came under scrutiny.
In October 2025, eight senior generals were expelled from the Communist Party on corruption charges. Among them was He Weidong, the country’s second-ranking general, who had worked closely with both Xi and Zhang on the CMC.
Two former defence ministers have also been removed from the party in recent years due to corruption allegations. Analysts say the crackdown has slowed the purchase of advanced weapons and affected the earnings of some of China’s biggest defence companies.
Diplomats and security experts are following the latest developments closely. Zhang’s close relationship with Xi and his central role in the CMC make the case especially significant. The commission oversees command decisions and guides the PLA’s continuing military modernisation.
Although China has not fought a war for decades, it has taken a more assertive position in disputed areas such as the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. Late last year, China carried out its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan.
Zhang’s removal marks only the second time since the 1966–76 Cultural Revolution that a serving CMC general has been taken down. He has not appeared in public since November 20, when he met Russia’s defence minister in Moscow.
Earlier that month, Zhang had pledged to crack down on "fake loyalty" and "two-faced men" and urged the military to remove "poisonous influences and long-standing problems".
Zhang Youxia Background
Zhang belongs to Shaanxi province in northwest China. He is the son of senior official who fought together in China’s civil war in the 1940s.
Zhang Youxia Military career
Born in Beijing, Zhang joined the army in 1968. He rose through the ranks and joined the CMC in late 2012, at a time when China was pushing hard to modernise its armed forces.
A Pentagon profile published in late 2023 noted that Zhang had been expected to retire in 2022 at age 72, in line with usual practice. "However, Zhang's retention on the CMC for a third term probably reflects Xi's desire to keep a close and experienced ally as his top military adviser," the report said.
Zhang saw combat in the 1979 border war with Vietnam, which China launched after Vietnam invaded Cambodia and removed the Beijing-backed Khmer Rouge. He was 26 when he went to the front lines and was quickly promoted, according to Chinese state media. He also took part in another border clash with Vietnam in 1984.
"During the battle, whether attacking or defending, Zhang Youxia performed excellently," the official China Youth Daily wrote in a 2017 article titled, "These Chinese generals have killed the enemy on the battlefield".
Some China experts say Zhang came out of these conflicts strongly in favour of improving military tactics, upgrading weapons, and building a better-trained fighting force.