In a move that signals a historic shift in the management of China’s armed forces, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has launched investigations into its final two high-ranking military leaders who had previously survived earlier purges. According to a report originally highlighted by the Financial Times, this latest crackdown places President Xi Jinping in a position of near-total operational control over the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Top Generals Under Investigation The Chinese Ministry of Defense announced that investigations are underway for General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and General Liu Zhenli, a member of the commission and Chief of the Joint Staff Department. Both are suspected of "serious violations of discipline and law"—a common CCP euphemism for corruption and political disloyalty.
The downfall of General Zhang is particularly significant. At 75, Zhang was a close ally of Xi and one of the few top officers with actual combat experience, having served in the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War. His family also shares deep revolutionary ties with Xi’s own family, making his removal a startling development for seasoned China observers.
The Shrinking Circle of Power The removal of Zhang and Liu reduces the Central Military Commission to its smallest formation in history. The governing body now effectively consists of only President Xi Jinping as Chairman and Zhang Shengmin, the military's anti-corruption chief who was promoted to Vice Chairman in October.
Experts suggest this level of consolidation is unprecedented. "Managing a force as massive as the PLA with only one or two officers at the top is nearly impossible in the long term," noted one analyst. "This mirrors a scenario where the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff were run by a single general."
A Strategic Timeline for 2027 While the official stated goal of these purges is the eradication of corruption, many analysts believe the underlying motive is to ensure absolute ideological loyalty. Xi’s focus remains on transforming the PLA into a world-class fighting force capable of rivaling the United States.
Intelligence assessments from Washington and Taipei suggest that Xi has instructed the military to be prepared for a potential takeover of Taiwan by 2027. Ensuring that the top brass is composed entirely of staunch loyalists is seen as a critical step toward that objective.
A Pattern of Disappearances The first signs of trouble for Zhang and Liu appeared when they were conspicuously absent from official media footage of a high-level study session last Tuesday. In the opaque world of Chinese politics, a sudden disappearance from the public eye often serves as a precursor to formal investigations and eventual expulsion from the party.
As the investigations continue, the global community is watching closely to see how this consolidation of power will affect China's military strategy and regional stability in the coming years.
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