The most senior uniformed official in China’s billion-man army is being investigated, in what looks like the most recent move in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s prolonged campaign of purging the People’s Liberation Army, China’s ground force. The Defense Ministry announced that China’s Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, is being investigated over charges of serious violations of discipline and the law, a common Chinese expression that means corruption together with political disloyality.
This probe into Luo is accompanied by another into Liu Zhenli, the CMC’s Chief of Staff in the Joint Staff Department, which effectively puts two of the nation’s highest military leaders under a cloud of investigation at the same time, leaving a seven-member committee essentially decapitated in the process.
Why Has the Investigation Been Launched Now?
The timing, too, is relevant in the political sphere, particularly because the rumors of the ousting of the pair, particularly after they failed to attend a Communist Party function in the month of December, are a tell-tale sign, especially because China’s political sphere is shrouded in mystery, and the lack of public appearances usually heralds formal decisions.
Beyond the disciplinary aspects, the investigation is seen to indicate the increasing administration by the Chinese President’s inner circle of issues like “loyalty,” “command integrity,” and “combat readiness”—all amid the hastened modernization drive of the Chinese armed forces and the intensifying tensions between the two superpowers over disputed territories like the South China Sea and Taiwan.
Xi has repeatedly warned that corruption within the military undermines combat effectiveness. In 2023, he told senior officers that corruption
“directly affects our ability to fight and win wars,”
framing discipline as a national security imperative rather than a moral campaign.
The Inner Power Struggle Within the Communist Party
Zhang Youxia’s downfall comes as a particular surprise, given not only his political pedigree but also his perceived closeness to Xi: Zhang is one of the few remaining “red second generation” elites-the son of a founding Communist general-and has been viewed as a bridge between Xi and the PLA’s traditional power centers.
He had been kept well past the generally accepted retirement age of 68, reserved for those with Xi’s personal confidence in their leadership. His continued place on the 24-member Politburo underscored an impression of his being politically untouchable. That impression now seems to have been mistaken.
The investigation suggests that no faction within the PLA is spared, and that Xi increasingly is unwilling to tolerate even perceived autonomy among senior commanders. Some analysts see this as evidence of a deeper, internal recalibration of the Communist Party-institutional loyalty to Xi personally taking precedence over revolutionary lineage or past service.
A Pattern of Purges Under Xi Jinping
Since assuming power in 2012, Xi has overseen the punishment of more than 200,000 officials across the party, state, and military as part of the largest anti-corruption campaign in modern Chinese history. The PLA has become a central focus of this drive in recent years.
Notable previous cases include:
– Xu Caihou, former CMC vice chairman, expelled in 2014 for massive bribery networks
– Guo Boxiong, another former vice chairman, sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016
– Li Shangfu, former defense minister, removed in 2023 after just seven months in office
– Wei Fenghe, Li’s predecessor, later expelled from the party
– He Weidong, Zhang’s fellow CMC vice chair, expelled in October and swiftly replaced
These cases reveal a pattern: positions once considered the pinnacle of military power have become increasingly precarious under Xi’s rule.
Corruption Allegations or Political Discipline?
No information is given on what wrongdoing was allegedly committed, according to official statements. However, from prior cases, financial corruption is typically linked with political unreliability. It has also been argued that the drive to root out corruption has also been used to promote ideological consistency and suppress any alternative centers of power within the PLA.
But the defenders of the reforms go on to say that the Chinese military had a tradition of corruption, notably in the promotion of officers, in the acquisition of weapons, and in the handling of land. Before reforms by Xi in 2015, the ranks in the PLA used to be bought, and the procurement of weaponry was a major outlet for graft. Even the far-reaching reforms of the PLA by Xi in 2016, eliminating the traditional dividing lines between the military regions, had as a prime aim the elimination of patronage.
A Hollowed-Out Central Military Commission
With Zhang and Liu under investigation, and Comrade He Weidong already expelled from the Party and the military, the Central Military Commission is down to only two members: Xi himself and Zhang Shengmin, the Discipline and Discipline Inspection Commission chief.
This concentration of power is unprecedented in the recent military history of China. Though this enhances the ability of President Xi Jinping to control the army personally, it creates an atmosphere of weakness within the institution with regard to decision-making capabilities.
What This Means for China’s Military Ambitions
The investigation comes at a critical moment. China has set ambitious goals to complete PLA modernization by 2035 and transform it into a “world-class military” by mid-century. Persistent purges at the highest levels risk disrupting command continuity and weakening trust within the ranks.
At the same time, Xi appears willing to accept short-term disruption to ensure long-term political loyalty. In his view, a less experienced but ideologically aligned military leadership may be preferable to one that is professionally competent but politically autonomous.
