By AFP and Focus | 2026-01-26

BEIJING -- China's military is reeling under yet another purge conducted by President Xi Jinping.

The government on January 24 said the senior vice chairman of its powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) and another high-ranking official were under investigation for suspected "serious violations of discipline," a common euphemism for corruption.

"Following a review... it has been decided to initiate an investigation into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

It also accused Zhang of leaking "core technical data on China's nuclear weapons" to the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported January 25, citing sources familiar with a high-level Chinese military briefing that took place January 24.

The announcement marks the latest push in a sweeping drive to root out graft at all levels of the party and state since Xi came to power more than a decade ago.

The two men were "suspected of serious violations of discipline and the law," the ministry said, according to AFP.

Zhang, 75, is China's highest-ranked general as the more senior CMC vice chairman.

Liu, 61, is the chief of staff of the CMC's joint staff department, which oversees combat planning.

Zhang is also a member of the powerful Politburo, the 24-member executive body of the Chinese Communist Party.

He shares the vice chairman title with Zhang Shengmin, a general in Beijing's secretive rocket force who is no relation.

Zhang Shengmin attained the post in October after Beijing expelled his predecessor in another sweeping corruption purge.

Xi has held the CMC chairmanship since 2012.

Swirling rumors

Rumors of a probe swirled last week after Zhang Youxia and Liu appeared to miss an official meeting chaired by Xi and attended by Zhang Shengmin, whom Zhang Youxia outranks.

Xi has called graft "the biggest threat" to the Communist Party and said "the fight against corruption remains grave and complex."

Proponents say the policy promotes clean governance, but others say it also serves as a tool for Xi to purge political rivals.

In October, China announced it had launched corruption investigations into nine military officials.

As part of those probes, the Defense Ministry said it had expelled two top generals from the military.

They were He Weidong, the former second-ranked CMC vice chairman, and Miao Hua, the former head of the military's political work department.

In 2024, the Communist Party expelled former Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu after his ouster over offenses including suspected bribery.

That same year, the party expelled Li's predecessor, Wei Fenghe, over alleged corruption. Military prosecutors have taken over his case.