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China removes its top general as Xi Jinping's military purge reaches the top ranks. Beijing's defence ministry said it has opened an investigation into General Zhang Youxia over what it called "grave violations of discipline and the law". The ministry also said General Liu Zhenli is under investigation.
What the ministry said
Zhang Youxia is one of the Central Military Commission's vice-chairmen and sits on the Communist Party's Politburo; he is 75 and has combat experience. With Zhang and Liu under investigation, the Central Military Commission has shrunk from seven members to just two senior figures: Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin. The defence statement gave no further particulars about the alleged misconduct. Observers placed the move in the context of a wider anti-corruption drive that has disciplined more than 200,000 officials since Xi took power in 2012.
Allegations and uncertain reporting
People speaking to The Wall Street Journal told the paper that the 75-year-old CMC vice-chairman allegedly handed over essential information on China's nuclear weapons to the US. That reporting prompted suggestions that Zhang was passing China's nuclear secrets to the United States. Sources said a task force has been set up to examine his years as commander of the Shenyang Military Region from 2007 to 2012. There are reports that investigators have been seizing phones and other devices from officers who rose through the ranks under Zhang and Liu. Some accounts said much of the evidence was provided by Gu Jun, the former manager of the China National Nuclear Corp, who is also being investigated.
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seriously fuelled political and corruption issues that affect the Party's absolute leadership over the military
— PLA Daily (editorial)
The BBC suggested that, in China, an accusation of wrongdoing is often used as a euphemism for corruption. Critics accused President Xi of using corruption investigations to purge political rivals. Analysts said the purges appear intended both to reform the military and to ensure loyalty to Xi.
Some commentators suggested the moves signal Xi's complete confidence and a push to consolidate absolute power. Other commentators argued the purges might indicate paranoia, a loss of control or a weakened leader. The Daily Mail's commentary suggested President Xi has achieved total control of China's armed forces after the removal.
Experts said Zhang's removal is likely to delay any attempt to seize Taiwan by force. Lyle Morris warned the removal could leave the PLA in 'disarray' and undermine its ability to execute a Taiwan contingency. Commentators warned that leadership vacuums will likely compromise the military's effectiveness in the short term and could, in the medium term, produce a rise of more nationalistic 'wolf warrior' generals. The decision has fuelled fresh uncertainty over China's invasion plans for Taiwan. Rumour has swirled that Zhang and Liu were involved in a high-level coup plot to take down Xi. Some commentators speculated that Taiwan might be the motivation behind the purge.
State of play
Reporting agrees that the defence ministry has opened an investigation into General Zhang Youxia and that General Liu Zhenli is also being probed, but the ministry has released no further details. The Wall Street Journal has publicly reported allegations that Zhang handed over sensitive information on China's nuclear weapons to the United States, a claim that remains unproven, and analysts and commentators are divided over whether the moves amount to military reform, a consolidation of Xi's authority, or a sign of paranoia. Experts warned the disruption could complicate or delay any Taiwan contingency in the near term, and investigations are continuing with outcomes still unclear.
International Outlook
Swipe to see how overseas media are framing the story and what domestic news is not reporting.Scroll to see how overseas media are framing the story and what domestic news is not reporting.
Taiwan
Sources
Newtalk (Taiwan)
Newtalk (Taiwan) carries several items not prominent in UK coverage: an unverified anecdote that Zhang allegedly confronted Xi with a dramatic threat; multiple, inconsistent online claims that the PLA's 82nd Group Army intervened to "rescue" Zhang; and a US‑newspaper‑sourced assessment that rebuilding the PLA's senior command could take more than five years — a timeline analysts say would reduce the near‑term likelihood of an invasion of Taiwan.
If I don't let you leave here today, would that count as a coup?
— Alleged Zhang Youxia
The outlet flags these anecdotes and the 'rescue' versions as unverified and spread across YouTube channels, X, Facebook and dissident media; none have been confirmed by Chinese official sources or independent outlets. It relays the multi‑year rebuilding projection (via a US paper) as a reason analysts cite for a lower immediate Taiwan contingency risk.
East Asia
Sources
Kyunghyang Shinmun (KR)
Kyunghyang Shinmun supplies several concrete additions to the public record that shift interpretation toward a political, Party‑led action:
Five of the six senior military leaders Xi appointed after the 2022 Party Congress have now been purged.
The defence ministry named no investigating body and said the probe was "decided after study by the Party Central Committee," implying the Party — not military disciplinary organs — is fronting the action.
Timeline and biographical detail: Zhang attended a promotion ceremony on Dec 22 and a central‑discipline plenary on Jan 12 but missed a Party study seminar on Jan 20; his purge was announced four days later. Kyunghyang also records that Zhang was born in 1950, hails from Dongxiang in Shanxi, and that his father fought alongside Xi's father during the civil war.
Taken together, these specifics underline the scale of Xi's post‑2022 reshuffle and suggest the investigation is being managed by central Party organs rather than by internal military discipline structures.
Southeast Asia
Sources
Channel News Asia
Channel News Asia highlights a tonal shift in the PLA's official narrative: the PLA Daily's front‑page editorial accused Zhang and Liu of having "seriously trampled on and undermined the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the Central Military Commission (CMC) chairman" — language CNA finds sharper than wording used after previous senior purges.
The wording seems severe and suggests insubordination
— Chong Ja Ian, NUS / Carnegie China
CNA quotes analysts who say the editorial reads less like a graft indictment and more like a list of grievances about authority and loyalty, signalling the case is political and focused on reasserting the chairman's control over the military.
South Asia
Sources
Indian Express
Indian Express foregrounds a US Department of Defense assessment that places the purge in operational terms and gives concrete procurement examples.
These investigations very likely risk short‑term disruptions in the operational effectiveness of the PLA… Alternatively, the PLA could emerge as a more proficient fighting force in the future if it uses the current campaign to eliminate systemic issues enabling corruption.
— US Department of Defense (annual report)
Indian reporting notes the December Pentagon report also warned removals had "caused uncertainty over organisational priorities" and pointed to procurement‑related capability shortfalls — for example malfunctioning missile‑silo lids — reinforcing expectations of short‑term disruption even if the campaign could yield long‑term improvements.
Eastern Europe
Sources
Kommersant, Nasha Niva (Belarus)
Kommersant and Belarus's Nasha Niva add two procedural and institutional details that are not emphasised in UK summaries:
Kommersant relays the Financial Times' assessment that Xi has concentrated operational command of the PLA in his own hands.
Nasha Niva reports a special investigative team is working in Shenyang and that investigators are deliberately staying in civilian hotels rather than on military bases to avoid Zhang's local influence.
These items point both to claims of command centralisation and to concrete steps taken to insulate the inquiry from local military networks during the probe.
Western Europe
Sources
El Mundo
El Mundo emphasises a personnel anomaly: Zhang, who had been expected to retire in 2022, was retained on the Central Military Commission for a third term by Xi — a break with convention that underlined their close relationship and raises the political stakes of his removal.
Built from coverage across multiple outlets and regions.
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