China’s top military leadership has been shaken by a new corruption probe, with the Defense Ministry announcing on Saturday that Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Zhang Youxia is under investigation for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law.” The case marks the latest high-profile purge in President Xi Jinping’s sweeping campaign to consolidate control over the armed forces and root out corruption.
Zhang, 75, is the senior of the two vice chairs of the powerful CMC, the Chinese Communist Party’s top military body. A veteran general from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ground forces, Zhang joined the military in 1968 and has long been considered one of the most influential figures in China’s defense establishment.
The Defense Ministry statement offered no details on the allegations. However, it also confirmed that Liu Zhenli, another CMC member and chief of staff of the commission’s Joint Staff Department, has been placed under investigation by the Communist Party, deepening uncertainty within China’s military hierarchy.
Analysts say the purges are part of Xi Jinping’s long-running effort to tighten political loyalty and professional discipline within the PLA, which he views as critical to China’s national security ambitions. Since Xi came to power in 2012, China’s anti-corruption drive has punished more than 200,000 officials across the party, government, and military.
The latest moves follow a series of dramatic shake-ups in the defense sector. In October last year, the Communist Party expelled CMC Vice Chairman He Weidong and replaced him with Zhang Shengmin. In 2024, two former Chinese defense ministers were expelled over corruption charges, underscoring the breadth of the crackdown.
The developments come as the United States intensifies its strategic focus on China. The Trump administration released a new National Defense Strategy on Friday identifying China as a major military power that must be deterred from dominating the U.S. and its allies. The document emphasized that Washington does not seek regime change, but aims for a stable peace on terms favorable to American interests.
With multiple senior military leaders now under investigation, the latest purge highlights both the political risks facing China’s defense elite and Xi’s determination to maintain absolute control over the PLA as global strategic competition with the United States intensifies.
