Chinese President Xi Jinping suddenly put one of China’s most powerful figures under investigation, signalling that no one, no matter how big or important within the ranks of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) or the Communist Party of China (CPC), is safe from the Chinese leader’s purging campaign.
Zhang Youxia, the joint vice-chairperson of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the ruling body of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and second in line in the military command structure after Xi Jinping, was recently placed under investigation for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law,” as announced by the Chinese Ministry of National Defence (MND) on January 24.
Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the CMC’s joint staff department, was placed under investigation along with Zhang Youxia.
The following day, an editorial in PLA stated, Zhang and Liu “seriously betrayed the trust and expectations” of the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission (CMC), and “fostered political and corruption problems that undermined the party’s absolute leadership over the military and threatened the party’s ruling foundation.”
The Chinese Defence Ministry stopped short of disclosing the exact cause that landed close aides Zhang and Liu in this situation.
Zhang was accused of sharing crucial technical information on China’s nuclear weapons with the United States, according to claims by the Wall Street Journal.
Zhang was also accused of trying to build his own network of influence within the CMC, which the Chinese President himself chairs.
With Zhang Youxia’s dismissal, the CMC is now down to just two members: Xi Jinping and General Zhang Shengmin, who was elevated to vice chairman in October 2025 and has spent most of his career as a political officer and discipline inspector.
Zhang Youxia, being put under investigation, has sent shockwaves across the Chinese establishment and beyond. The General has long been viewed as Xi’s unbeatable, close buddy, as he is another “princeling” son of revolutionaries with ties to the Chinese leader dating back a generation to their fathers, who fought together in China’s Civil War.
Although this may seem like a fall from grace for the General, it is part of a broader campaign to end corruption and any potential revolt against the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Xi.
Earlier, a spokesman at the Chinese embassy in Washington told the WSJ that the investigation shows the party’s leadership has “a full-coverage, zero-tolerance approach to combating corruption.”
This matches the message from the Chinese Defence Ministry regarding Zhang fostering “political and corruption problems that undermined the party’s absolute leadership over the military and threatened the party’s ruling foundation.”
Professor Srikanth Kondapalli, a Professor of China studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, told EurAsian Times that the allegations about the transfer of nuclear secrets are an eyewash meant to cast aspersions on Zhang and legitimise the Chinese leadership’s actions.
“Zhang was last seen in November 2025, following which he disappeared from the public eye and missed significant events such as the fourth plenary meeting of the CMC. This had already triggered speculation that he may have been put under investigation,” Kondapalli stated.
When asked whether Zhang may have been purged for challenging the CPC and Xi Jinping, Professor Kondapalli subtly reminded us of the popular statement made by Mao Zedong, the former Chairman of the Communist Party, in 1927: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
Mao also said, “Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party.” This slogan established that the CCP must maintain absolute control over the armed forces.
This move could throw the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into disarray at a time when Beijing is aggressively pushing to modernise its military.
Xi Jinping has set a military modernisation goal for the PLA to achieve the capabilities of a “world-class military” by 2027, the year marking the PLA’s 100th anniversary. And, by 2049, China aims to realise the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”, transforming into a “strong, democratic, civilised, harmonious, and modern socialist country” that leads the world in composite national strength and international influence.
Professor Kondapalli said that “the authority of the CMC was diminished considerably after the establishment of Theatre Commands in 2015. The removal of the CMC’s leaders does not shake things up drastically at the tactical level because the troops are prepared and under a sound command and control structure. So, there will not be an immediate effect of the purging, but it does damage the morale of the troops across the PLA.”
However, this poses a significant question that critics across the board have been asking: how does China plan on seizing Taiwan and challenge superpower like the US if “it is unable to keep its own house in order.”
Since taking power in 2012, Xi has used the campaign to clean out corruption and disloyalty from both the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Since late 2023, the widespread crackdown has become considerably more intense, peaking in 2024–2025 when several senior generals and ministers “went missing.”
In 2023, this sustained anti-corruption campaign targeted high-ranking military officers and defence industry executives, especially within the strategically vital PLA Rocket Force (PLARF). According to reports, more than 20 senior military officials have been placed under investigation or ousted since 2023.
The driving forces behind these moves were concerns that graft was compromising military preparedness, procurement integrity, and Xi’s authority over the armed services.
In October 2025, China’s Ministry of National Defence announced the expulsion of nine senior officers, including General He Weidong, the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the PLA’s second-highest-ranking uniformed officer.
They were accused of “serious violations of Party discipline” and “duty-related crimes” involving “extremely large amounts of money,” with consequences described as “extremely serious and detrimental.”
Analysts believe that although the campaign aims to enhance long-term effectiveness by rooting out graft and ensuring political loyalty, it has instead introduced delays and resource inefficiencies within the PLA.
While the ongoing anti-corruption purges sweeping through the PLA and China’s defense industry could cause delays, shortages of experienced officers, and disruptions to weapons programs are unlikely to hold the PLA back.
However, the latest purge demonstrates that Xi’s hammer could fall on anybody.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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