China Expels Two Top Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli From Party and Military
China officially expelled two of its most senior military generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from the Communist Party and military on Monday, marking a major escalation in President Xi Jinping's sweeping purge of military leadership. The expulsions follow investigations into corruption and political disloyalty, leaving Xi's command structure significantly weakened.
Historic Military Purge Accelerates
On September 21, China officially expelled two of its most senior generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from both the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the military, marking another major escalation in a purge that has hollowed out the upper ranks of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
The Generals' Positions
Zhang previously served as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), making him one of the highest-ranking military officials beneath CCP leader Xi Jinping. Liu was a CMC member and chief of the Joint Staff Department, which plays a central role in military planning and operations. Authorities accused Zhang Youxia, formerly the country's highest-ranking uniformed officer, and ex-joint chief of staff Liu Zhenli of forming cliques, helping others get promotions and receiving "huge" payments, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Monday.
The Broader Context of Xi's Purge
The fall of two generals who sat near the very top of China's command system shows that the purge is no longer confined to procurement officials or individual branches of the armed forces. The Center for Strategic and International Studies said 36 generals and lieutenant generals had been officially purged since 2022, with a further 65 officers missing or potentially purged. While Xi's purge is centered around rooting out graft, the "unprecedented" charges of forming cliques and factions "sends a sharp message to both the elders and the military about challenging Xi," a former CIA China analyst told Reuters; the expelled Zhang Youxia was seen as Xi's closest military ally.
Implications for Military Readiness
The fall of two generals who sat near the very top of China's command system shows the purge has reached the core of the Central Military Commission itself, leaving Xi with a dramatically smaller senior leadership team as China continues an ambitious military modernization campaign. Legal proceedings continue, with their cases transferred to military prosecutors.