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CHINA President Xi Jinping has taken his anti-corruption campaign deep into China’s military hierarchy by ordering a probe into General Zhang Youxia, his long-time ally and Politburo member, underscoring that even the most trusted figures are vulnerable if perceived as insufficiently loyal to the party leadership.
Reuters reported on Monday that the move has been described by experts as “astonishing” and a “profound shift” in Chinese politics. Jonathan Czin of the Washington-based Brookings Institution noted, “Zhang's removal means that truly nobody in the leadership is safe now.”
Czin, a former senior China analyst at the CIA and the U.S. National Security Council, said the purge concentrates power in Xi’s hands and makes the already opaque command of China’s military even less transparent.
Both Xi and Zhang are princelings, sons of former senior officers.
The 75-year-old general, initially expected to retire in 2022, was retained for a third term on the Central Military Commission (CMC), highlighting their longstanding ties.
Yet the Ministry of Defence announced on Saturday that Zhang, the senior vice-chairman of the CMC and second-in-command under Xi, is under investigation “for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.”
Analysts suggest corruption is likely cited as a pretext.
Czin said, “Corruption concerns are probably real, though those are typically more a pretext to remove someone in Chinese politics.”
The probe also targets Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department, effectively reducing the seven-member commission to two, with Xi at the helm.
“Xi has eviscerated the People's Liberation Army (PLA) top brass like no leader before him,” said Neil Thomas, a fellow at the Asia Society.
The PLA Daily framed the investigation as a major achievement, claiming the generals “seriously undermined and violated” the Chairman Responsibility System, under which Xi exercises “supreme military decision-making” and absolute party control over the army.
Lyle Morris of the Asia Society Policy Institute commented, “To invoke violating the Chairman Responsibility System suggests Zhang had too much power outside of Xi himself.”
While no explicit evidence of a power struggle has been released, analysts interpret the action as both a consolidation of loyalty and a demonstration of Xi’s unchallenged authority.
James Char, a scholar at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noted, “By placing Zhang under the probe, Xi has also responded to criticisms that his PLA anti-corruption campaign has been selective.”
The purge leaves the PLA leadership heavily depleted, raising questions about command functionality and the pace of military initiatives.
Czin observed, “It is honestly not clear how the chain of command should be functioning — especially since so many officers who would otherwise replace the removed members have themselves been ousted.”
Analysts also suggest the shake-up delays any near-term escalation regarding Taiwan.
Thomas said, “Gutting the PLA high command suggests that Xi is not contemplating a major military escalation against Taiwan in the near term. But his crackdown is designed to elevate a cadre of more competent and loyal generals who will pose more of a threat in the future.”
Xi’s purge, observers agree, reflects a methodical strategy to ensure the Chinese Communist Party and its military remain ideologically committed and politically loyal, with the ultimate aim of strengthening his personal and institutional control over China’s armed forces. - January 26, 2026