US EditionChina investigating top general over serious violations, says defence ministry
The investigations into generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli reflect President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption purge targeting two-thirds of top military officers since 2012.
- On Jan 24, China’s Communist Party opened investigations into Zhang Youxia, Political Bureau member and CMC vice-chair, and Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the CMC Joint Staff Department, for suspected serious violations, the Defense Ministry said.
- Amid Xi Jinping’s 2012 anti‑corruption drive, the campaign has punished more than 200,000 officials and targeted the military, including a 2023 probe of the Rocket Force.
- Zhang Youxia, 75, is widely regarded as one of President Xi Jinping’s closest military allies and joined the People’s Liberation Army in 1968 as a ground-forces general.
- Slower procurement is already evident as the broader purge is hitting revenues at major Chinese military firms and placing a CMC vice‑chair under investigation could reshape top military leadership after recent expulsions.
- Analysts say the purges aim to reform the military and secure loyalty to Xi, citing expulsions of eight top generals in October 2025 and two former defence ministers in 2024.
212 Articles
212 Articles
China's Defense Ministry has launched an investigation into its highest-ranking general. Zhang Youxia is accused of violating "party discipline and the law." By E. Lamby-Schmitt.
75-year-old Zhang Youxia is vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party group - General Liu Zhenli is also under investigation - Xi Jinping's fight against corruption
Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched an investigation into his top general amid a growing purge of the military. General Zhang Youxia is the highest-ranking serving military officer facing removal from office following the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
China says top military official under investigation for suspected ‘serious violations of discipline’
China said on Saturday the senior vice chairman of its powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) and another high-ranking official were under investigation for suspected "serious violations of discipline", a common euphemism for corruption.
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