China investigates two top generals in major military purge

Saturday 24 January 2026 - 10:20

By: Dakir Madiha

China investigates two top generals in major military purge

China's state media confirmed on January 24, 2026, the launch of probes into two of its highest-ranking military officials for serious disciplinary and legal violations, marking the most significant high-level purge in decades.

Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and a Politburo member, along with Liu Zhenli, head of the Joint Staff Department and also a commission member, now face scrutiny, as announced by the National Defense Ministry. The brief statement noted that the central Party leadership deliberated on these investigations without elaborating on the alleged infractions.

The disclosure ended days of speculation sparked by their noticeable absence from a January 20 study session for provincial and ministerial cadres, attended by President Xi Jinping and the six permanent Politburo Standing Committee members. While fellow commission vice chairman Zhang Shengmin appeared in the audience, neither Zhang Youxia nor Liu Zhenli showed up, alerting close watchers of Chinese affairs.

At 75, Zhang Youxia stands out in China's military elite with genuine combat experience from the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese war and the 1984 Laoshan battle. Liu Zhenli, 61, a decorated veteran, rose swiftly to become the People's Liberation Army's youngest senior general before assuming his joint staff role in 2022.

This development escalates an unprecedented anti-corruption drive that has reshaped the Central Military Commission's seven-member lineup since 2023. Former vice chairman He Weidong and political work director Miao Hua faced expulsion from the Communist Party in October 2025, alongside seven other top officers cited for grave breaches. Over a dozen senior generals have fallen since Xi initiated the military crackdown, including two consecutive defense ministers. Just days prior, the fifth plenary session of the Communist Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection urged redoubled anti-corruption measures, with Xi in attendance delivering a key address.

Zhang Youxia's probe carries special weight given his stature as the commission's top vice chairman, effectively China's number-two military figure after Xi. Analysts have long viewed him as a key player in the Xi-aligned "Shaanxi Gang" faction.