In the history of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), two vice-commanders-in-chief were purged: Lin Biao, who was purged by Mao Zedong in 1971; and Zhang Youxia, who was purged by Xi Jinping in 2026. Although the official Chinese Communist Party characterizations of these two vice-commanders-in-chief differed, there were striking similarities in their actions.
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In the history of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), two vice-commanders-in-chief were purged: Lin Biao, who was purged by Mao Zedong in 1971; and Zhang Youxia, who was purged by Xi Jinping in 2026. Although the official Chinese Communist Party characterizations of these two vice-commanders-in-chief differed, there were striking similarities in their actions.