Xi Jinping’s Anti-Corruption Drive Reaches the Top of China’s Military, Senior General Zhang Dismissed — Signals Major Power Shake-Up

Beijing:
China’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign within the military has now reached the highest echelons of power, sending shockwaves through the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). President Xi Jinping has removed General Zhang Youxia, one of China’s most senior and influential military commanders, from his post amid an ongoing investigation into serious disciplinary and legal violations.

The move marks one of the most dramatic actions taken under Xi’s long-running crackdown on corruption within the defence establishment and signals a decisive tightening of control over the armed forces.

According to China’s Ministry of National Defense, General Zhang — the senior Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) — is under formal investigation for alleged violations of party discipline and national law. The CMC, chaired by President Xi himself, is the supreme command authority of the Chinese military.

General Zhang, often referred to as China’s “number one general,” held the highest operational military rank in the PLA. A veteran officer since the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, his dismissal makes him the most senior active military official to be removed in decades.

Second Top Officer Also Under Probe

Alongside Zhang, another senior officer — General Liu Zhenli, Chief of the Joint Staff Department and a member of the CMC — has also been placed under investigation. Chinese authorities confirmed that the decision was taken after deliberations by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The simultaneous investigation of two top-ranking commanders has intensified speculation about a deeper purge within the military leadership.

Political Shockwaves Beyond the PLA

The action has drawn global attention not only because of Zhang’s military stature but also his political influence. He is a member of the 24-member Politburo, the core power center of the Communist Party. His fall from grace underscores the seriousness of Xi Jinping’s campaign and highlights that no rank or position is immune.

Since assuming power in 2012, Xi has launched an aggressive anti-corruption drive across China’s political and military institutions. Dozens of senior PLA officials have been dismissed, jailed, or sidelined over the years. However, the pace and scale of recent actions suggest a renewed and intensified phase of the campaign.

A Message of Absolute Control

Analysts believe the latest developments reflect Xi Jinping’s determination to consolidate absolute loyalty within the military at a time of growing geopolitical tensions. The purge is seen as both a corruption crackdown and a strategic move to eliminate potential power centers within the armed forces.

As China continues to modernize its military and assert itself on the global stage, the removal of such high-ranking officials signals that a major internal realignment may be underway — one that could reshape the PLA’s leadership structure in the months ahead.