China’s most senior military general is under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, the country’s defence ministry announced on Saturday, marking the highest-profile purge of China’s military leadership in recent years as Beijing continues to modernize its armed forces and expand its global military posture.
The investigation targets Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) — China’s supreme military command body — and Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department.
Xi Jinping’s Closest Military Ally Under Scrutiny
Zhang Youxia is widely regarded as President Xi Jinping’s closest ally within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). He also holds a seat on the elite Politburo of the Communist Party and is among the few senior Chinese officers with direct combat experience.
Zhang has not appeared in public since November 20, when he held talks with Russia’s defence minister in Moscow, according to officials.
Part of a Broader Anti-Corruption Campaign
The probe comes amid Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, launched in 2012, which has increasingly targeted the military. The crackdown intensified in 2023 with a purge of the PLA Rocket Force, and has since expanded to the highest ranks.
Zhang is only the second sitting general on the CMC to be investigated since the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), underscoring the extraordinary nature of the case.
In recent years:
- Eight top generals were expelled from the Communist Party in October 2025 on graft charges
- Former CMC Vice Chairman He Weidong was expelled from the party and PLA in October last year
- Two former defence ministers have also been purged for corruption
The campaign has reportedly slowed procurement of advanced weaponry and affected revenues of major Chinese defence companies.
Implications for China’s Military Posture
Foreign diplomats and security analysts are closely monitoring the investigation, given Zhang’s central role in military command and modernisation efforts.
Despite the turmoil, analysts say daily military operations are unlikely to be disrupted. Singapore-based China security expert James Char noted that the investigation may reflect Xi’s response to criticism that the anti-corruption drive had been selectively enforced.
“Xi has been appointing second-line PLA officers to fill vacated roles on an interim basis,” Char said, adding that China’s military modernisation goals for 2035 and 2049 remain unchanged.
China’s Expanding Military Assertiveness
Although China has not fought a full-scale war in decades, it has taken an increasingly assertive stance in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and toward Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory. The PLA conducted its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan late last year, raising regional and global concerns.
A Veteran of Past Conflicts
Born in Beijing, Zhang joined the PLA in 1968 and rose steadily through the ranks. He fought in the 1979 border war with Vietnam and later in another clash in 1984, experiences that shaped his reputation as a military moderniser focused on better training and advanced weaponry.
Both Xi Jinping and Zhang Youxia originate from Shaanxi province and are sons of senior officials who fought together during China’s civil war in the 1940s — a shared background that helped cement Zhang’s long-standing influence.
