Two of China’s most senior military officials have been removed from the country’s top military body, as well as its Communist Party-controlled legislature.
China announced that Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were under investigation in January, shortly after Domino Theory reported on their absence from a public event. Zhang was at the time the senior vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, or CMC, making him the highest ranking general in China. Liu was a regular member of the commission.
The CMC is chaired by China’s leader, Xi Jinping (習近平). Although Xi is usually described as the president of China, his chairmanship of the CMC is arguably a more important position in the party-political system.
The CMC membership in the early years of Xi’s reign had historically been made up of a number of different factions within the military. But more recently, Xi has gutted the body. None of the members who were announced at the beginning of Xi’s current five-year term remain. Only Zhang Shengmin (張升民), who was added last year, is still standing.
“It’s almost as if Xi wants anyone who has any information on corruption, purges, sensitive national security plans or political power to simply disappear,” said Anushka Saxena, a China military analyst at the Takshashila Institution.
Zhang and Liu are not the only senior generals to have been removed from their positions. Although not members of the CMC, Zhong Shaojun (鍾紹軍) and Ju Qiansheng (巨乾生) were removed both from the National People’s Congress, China’s nominal legislature, as were Zhang and Liu.
Saxena described Zhong as “Xi’s close military aide,” pointing out that removing him now could serve as communication to domestic observers that Xi “will go after anyone and everyone without factional or service preference.”
There is a bloodbath at the top of China’s military. A Center for Strategic and International Studies report in February found that, of the 35 three-star generals and admirals that Xi has promoted since 2022, “32 appear to have been investigated and 29 were subsequently confirmed or potentially purged.”
There’s no reason to think it’s slowed down since February either. As well as Zhang, Liu, Zhong and Ju, six more generals were removed from the National People’s Congress in June.
“All the pending names of military leaders we haven’t still heard about may keep getting announced as being dismissed from their deputy-ships till October 2027,” Saxena said. October 2027 is when the new members of the CMC, who serve five-year terms, should be announced. Even Zhang Shengmin, who likely oversaw the investigation into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, might not make it that far.
What that means for China’s military and the quality of its leadership is hard to say, to the chagrin of China watchers near and far.
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