Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken disciplinary action against senior figures in the country’s military leadership following allegations of corruption, disloyalty, and the leaking of sensitive information to the United States, according to international media reports.
The most senior official affected is Zhang Youxia, who was widely regarded as the most powerful general in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) after Xi. The U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported that Zhang is accused of providing classified military information to the United States and engaging in corruption-related activities.
The report said the allegations were outlined during a high-level internal briefing attended by senior PLA officers earlier this month.
Allegations Against Senior Military Leadership
Zhang is also accused of accepting large bribes in connection with the appointment of former defence minister Li Shangfu in 2023. Li was removed from his post the same year amid a broader anti-corruption campaign within China’s military establishment.
In addition, Zhang has been accused of forming an internal faction within the armed forces, an allegation that has previously been cited by Chinese authorities as a serious breach of party discipline.
According to The New York Times, another senior officer, General Liu Zhenli, has also faced disciplinary measures for allegedly defying party authority.
Zhang, who is 75 years old, had remained in office beyond the customary retirement age of 68. He is considered a “princeling,” a term used in China to describe the children of revolutionary-era leaders, and is known to have had a long-standing personal relationship with Xi.
Wider Military Reshuffle Under Xi Jinping
Xi has intensified efforts to reshape the military leadership in recent years. China’s armed forces are overseen by the Central Military Commission (CMC), which Xi chairs. Of the commission’s six senior military members appointed during Xi’s third term, several have been removed from their posts.
British magazine The Economist reported that at least nine senior generals were dismissed in a single month last year, including two vice-chairmen of the CMC.
Since becoming president in 2012, Xi has removed at least 24 serving or retired generals, according to international media counts. Previous Chinese leaders, including Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, did not remove serving generals during their terms. The only precedent for comparable military purges dates back to the era of Mao Zedong.
Official Silence and Ongoing Campaign
The latest actions mark one of the most significant restructurings of China’s military leadership in decades and come amid Xi’s ongoing campaign against corruption and internal dissent within the Communist Party and the armed forces.
Chinese authorities have not publicly commented in detail on the allegations. The reports are based on information from international media citing internal briefings and sources familiar with the matter.
