Xi Jinping Purges Top Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli Over Corruption and Disloyalty

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-09-22 17:31:00

In what marks the most dramatic command purge within China’s armed forces in decades, President Xi Jinping has formally expelled two of the country's highest-ranking generals—General Zhang Youxia and General Liu Zhenli—from both the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Announced on Monday by authorities in Beijing, the sweeping action follows exhaustive investigations that cited severe infractions including political disloyalty, deep-rooted corruption, and serious breaches of military discipline. General Zhang, serving as Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), stood as the second-highest-ranking officer in China’s armed forces and was widely viewed as Xi’s closest lifelong military confidant, while General Liu occupied a seat on the CMC and served as Chief of Staff of its Joint Staff Department.

Fall of the Inner Circle: From January Inquiries to Outright Disgrace

The downfall of these two military titans represents a seismic shift within the upper echelons of Chinese defense leadership. Internal investigations into Zhang and Liu were formally set in motion in January, culminating in their stripping of governmental CMC posts in late August before their total expulsion from the ruling party and military ranks this week. Long regarded as an untouchable princeling with shared family ties to Xi’s father, Zhang's sudden removal shatters longstanding assumptions regarding factional immunity at the highest tiers of power. Observers emphasize that stripping top commanders of their party and military standing sends an unambiguous signal across regional theater commands that personal allegiance and absolute compliance with Xi's command authority take precedence over historical camaraderie.

Central Military Commission Hollowed Out: Just Two Active Leaders Remain

Since assuming absolute power in 2012, Xi Jinping has waged an unrelenting anti-graft campaign, with the modernization drive of the armed forces and rocket units increasingly serving as the core battleground for anti-corruption inspectors. The ouster of Zhang and Liu delivers a historic structural blow to China's apex defense command body; the Central Military Commission, which originally operated with seven core members, has now been drastically hollowed out to leave only two active leaders, including Chairman Xi Jinping himself. As global defense analysts assess the strategic fallout of this unprecedented purge, the hollowing out of the CMC highlights Xi’s determination to root out any perceived operational insubordination or financial malfeasance as Beijing recalibrates its global military posture.

Previous Post

Another attack in the Persian Gulf, British ship catches fire near Qatar

Next Post

US Army Veteran Slams YouTuber Over Call to Demolish 90-Foot Texas Hanuman Statue