US EditionThe Rise and Fall of China’s Top Military Officer Gen. Zhang Youxia
Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli face investigation for corruption and political violations, marking a significant purge that reduces the Central Military Commission's leadership to two members.
- Announcing probes into two senior generals, China's Ministry of National Defense said Saturday that Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the CMC's Joint Staff Department, are under investigation for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law."
- Chinese authorities framed the probes as targeting officers who "seriously betrayed the trust and expectations" of the CCP, part of an anti-corruption campaign eliminating factionalism and "naked officials" with Western ties.
- A Sunday editorial in the PLA's official newspaper laid out charges against Zhang Youxia, who stood centimeters from Xi Jinping last month, but precise allegations remain undisclosed.
- On Thursday, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said it will prudently assess cross-strait risks while MAC head Chiu Chui-cheng noted ongoing PLA aircraft activity near Taiwan and analysts expect more arrests.
- Observers say Xi is demonstrating authority by removing trusted officials, framing it as necessary for PLA modernization toward 2049, though long-term effects remain uncertain.
13 Articles
13 Articles
After Latest Purge, "There Aren't Even Enough People Left to Form a WeChat Group" for China's Central Military Commission
After the carnage, there aren’t even enough people left to form a WeChat group. [Chinese] Last week’s announcement of investigations into Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli has profound implications for China’s elite politics and near-term military capacity, but it also left China’s Central Military Commission with just two members, down from its former seven. The survivors are Xi Jinping himself as chairman, and disciplinary official Zhang Sh…
Zhang Youxia’s Alleged Secret Letter Signals Deep Rift Inside Xi Jinping’s Military Leadership
As reports swirl of a possible military purge under Xi Jinping, a letter said to have been prepared in advance by senior PLA general Zhang Youxia has begun circulating online. The document, rich in internal detail, lays bare deep disagreements over CCP military control, Taiwan policy, and personal power—while invoking stark historical parallels to 1989 and the Cultural Revolution.
The rise and fall of China’s top military officer Gen. Zhang Youxia
On January 24, China’s Ministry of National Defence stunned observers when it announced that Gen. Zhang and Liu Zhenli, another member of the CMC and Chief of Staff of the CMC Joint Staff Department, were under investigation “for suspected serious discipline and law violations”
China’s Military Shake-Up Signals Escalating Power Struggle Around Xi Jinping: Analysts
The sudden downfall of Zhang Youxia, a vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC), has fueled speculation among analysts of an escalating power struggle at the heart of the Chinese communist regime. Zhang and fellow CMC member Liu Zhenli were officially announced as being under investigation on Jan. 24, an extraordinary move given Zhang’s status as one of the most senior figures in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Within hours…
Sword of loyalty: decoding Xi Jinping's perpetual military purge
The recent announcement by China’s Ministry of Defense regarding the investigation of General Zhang Youxia, a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has sent ripples through the global geopolitical landscape. For over a decade, President Xi Jinping has wielded an unrelenting anti-corruption campaign as both a shield for the state and a sword for […] The post Sword of loyalty: decoding Xi Jinping’s perpetual military purge appear…
The recent arrest of Zhang Youxia, the first vice-president of the respected and experienced Central Military Commission, questions, after thirteen years of "cleaning" the Chinese president in the People's Liberation Army.
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