China’s most senior military commander removed

China’s most senior general is being investigated “for suspected serious discipline and law violations,” China’s defense ministry has said.

Zhang Youxia, vice chair of the Central Military Commission—the top military body in China—was removed from his post on Saturday, according to a statement from the ministry.

The ministry did not provide details about general Zhang’s misconduct. His removal comes as part of the latest purge of army officials in the country.

Newsweek reached out to China’s Ministry of Defense by email to comment on this story, outside of normal business hours.

Why It Matters

The removals come as part of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s crackdown on embezzlement and corruption in China. As a result of the purges, the commission has shrunk to its smallest size in decades and further cuts will shrink it further still.

It also a a time in which relations between China and the U.S. have been strained with a reciprocal tariffs war and as China builds it military sparking concerns it could target self-ruled Taiwan.

What To Know

Zhang, 75, has been a close ally of Xi. Their fathers fought together during the Chinese civil war in the 1940s. Zhang joined the Chinese military in 1968 and the Communist Party in 1969

Liu Zhenli, another member of the commission and the chief of the military’s joint staff department, is also under investigation, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, their removals come after the Communist Party expelled He Weidong, the other vice chair of the commission in October 2025, and replaced him with commission member Zhang Shengmin. Eight other generals were also expelled, and China’s defense ministry said they were all suspected of serious financial crimes.

In total, according to CNN, 200,000 military officials have been purged since Xi came to power in 2012.

What People Are Saying

A press release from China’s defense ministry said: “China’s defense ministry on Saturday announced that senior military officials Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli have been investigated for suspected serious discipline and law violations.”

Rosemary Foot, professor and senior research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations, told Newsweek: “Several senior military figures have been removed over the last few years, mostly on charges related to alleged corruption, which seems to be endemic in the PLA.

“But these latest removals are particularly significant: Zhang is said to be a childhood friend of Xi’s; it means the Central Military Commission now has only two members instead of the seven it had in the past; he was the highest ranking service officer with actual past combat experience; and a member of the Politburo. Liu, also a member of the CMC, was head of the joint staff department with responsibilities for joint military operations. This leaves a further hole in capabilities and experience.”