China places top general under investigation in Xi’s sweeping military purge

China’s highest-ranking general, Zhang Youxia, long seen as President Xi Jinping’s trusted second-in-command, has been placed under investigation, the Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.

Zhang is accused of “grave violations of discipline and the law,” marking the most significant escalation yet in Xi’s yearslong purge of the People’s Liberation Army elite.

Investigation targets senior military leaders

Zhang, 75, serves as vice-chairman of the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission (CMC), the body that oversees China’s armed forces. He is being investigated alongside Liu Zhenli, 61, chief of staff of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department. The Defense Ministry said both were “suspected of serious violations of discipline and the law” but provided no further details.

Central Military Commission left with just two members

The investigations leave the CMC with only two members: President Xi, who chairs the body, and General Zhang Shengmin, who has overseen Xi’s military purges. All six uniformed commanders appointed to the commission in 2022 have now been removed, while General Zhang Shengmin himself was promoted to the commission only last year.

Analysts describe Zhang Youxia’s removal as one of the most consequential military purges in decades, reflecting Xi’s determination to consolidate control over the PLA and eliminate potential rivals at the highest levels.

Zhang Youxia joined the People’s Liberation Army in 1968 and is a general from its ground forces. Last October, the Communist Party expelled the other vice-chairman of the CMC, He Weidong, replacing him with Zhang Shengmin. In 2024, two former defense ministers were expelled over corruption charges, highlighting the ongoing sweep of senior military leadership.

More from World

'Another night of Russian terror': Strikes cut heat across Ukraine in –12°C cold amid trilateral peace talks ‘Path to take them off now’: Trump aide hints at rolling back 25% India tariffs after 'Russian oil purchases collapse'

Meanwhile, the Trump administration released a new National Defense Strategy on Friday, identifying China as a military power that must be deterred from dominating the US or its allies. The strategy stressed that this does not require regime change or an existential struggle. “A decent peace, on terms favourable to Americans but that China can also accept and live under, is possible,” it said.