China's President, Xi Jinping, has extended his anti-corruption campaign to the pinnacle of military power. Beijing has placed under investigation General Zhang Youxia, the highest-ranking officer of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), in a new blow against corruption and political disloyalty within the armed forces.
Zhang (74 years old), one of the two vice presidents of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) - the highest command body of the army and a central piece of the ruling Communist Party's power system - is being investigated for "serious violations of party discipline and state laws", as announced by a Ministry of Defense spokesperson on Saturday. This formula, common in this type of official communication, usually foreshadows a swift downfall and the opening of a criminal process.
In addition to Zhang, another big fish of the PLA has also been sidelined: General Liu Zhenli (61 years old), Chief of the Joint Staff Department, responsible for operational planning and combat operations of the army. Liu had been a key figure in the Chinese military architecture and one of the few senior officers with real battlefield experience.
Since 2023, dozens of high-ranking officers and Defense industry executives have been dismissed, investigated, and convicted. But the cases of Zhang and Liu are particularly significant because both generals had played a central role in the ambitious modernization plan of the PLA, aimed at propelling the army towards a well-oiled military machine capable of competing with the United States in hypothetical war scenarios such as Taiwan or the disputed South China Sea.
In an article published a couple of months ago, Zhang mentioned the need to accelerate the development of advanced weaponry, urging the PLA to build more "first-class weapons and equipment that can defeat the enemy."
In the same article, he also called for the elimination of "toxic influences" and for forging greater loyalty to the party. "The military must resolutely carry out the anti-corruption struggle to the end, intensify simultaneous rectification of both corruption and misconduct, and firmly curb indecent behavior among officers and soldiers," he wrote.
The investigation against Zhang has surprised many because this military leader was considered one of President Xi's closest allies. Zhang is also a member of the Politburo, the party's core leadership. Like Xi, the general belongs to the group of the so-called "red princelings," descendants of the revolutionary veterans who founded the People's Republic. Zhang's father fought alongside Xi's father during the Chinese civil war.
Last October, the anti-corruption campaign also took down the second-highest-ranking general, He Weidong, who was then the vice president of the CMC. Last September, four other generals were expelled from the party. And in mid-2025, another renowned CMC general, Miao Hua, was removed.
Last year also saw the fall of the former Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu. "Taking advantage of his position, he enriched himself with huge sums of money to seek inappropriate personal benefits," announced the Chinese press, revealing that another former Defense Minister, Wei Fenghe (who held the position between 2018 and 2023), had been expelled from the party for another corruption case.
The Defense portfolios held by both Li and Wei, unlike their Western or other Asian counterparts, have a more diplomatic and ceremonial weight. In China, decision-making falls on the CMC. The Minister of Defense is part of this body but always ranks below two vice presidents and President Xi, the country's top military authority.
The dismissal of Li, along with nine other generals of his trust who were tried by a military court, was related to the irregular purchase of military equipment during the former minister's tenure at the helm of the Strategic Support Force, an organization responsible for retiring old army commanders and making the right moves for the modernization of the PLA, starting with the acquisition of military equipment such as Russian Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 air defense missile systems.