China's top military general, Zhang Youxia, has been placed under investigation for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law", party-speak for corruption. As the vice-chair of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China's ruling body of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Zhang is the second-most powerful person in the military after Xi Jinping, the commander-in-chief.
But power struggles are likely more to blame than corruption. "This is easily the most significant PLA purge in the post-Mao era," said Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society thinktank. "It's hard to overstate how rare this is … it would be like arresting the chair of the US joint chiefs of staff for corruption."
Zhang was once considered one of Xi's closest military allies, but now faces allegations that he betrayed the trust and expectations of the party and the CMC. His appointment to the CMC at the 20th party congress in 2022, when he was past the normal retirement age, indicated that he was a trusted figure until relatively recently.
However, Xi seems determined to prove otherwise, asserting his authority at all costs. "For Xi, there's nothing more important than strengthening party discipline and ensuring it does not go the same way as the Soviet Communist party, which in his view was rendered ineffective by corruption," said Thomas. The party's control of the armed forces is central to its grip on power, making Xi willing to assert his authority even if it means a somewhat absurd CMC lineup.
The purge may actually increase China's military readiness for an assault on Taiwan. "I think it would be a major mistake to assume that the Chinese military lacks capable senior officers or that it is less likely to move against Taiwan due to this recent shake-up of the CMC," said Lyle Goldstein, the director of the Asia programme at Defense Priorities.
More arrests are likely in connection with the investigation. Scholars describe corruption as a feature of the system, not a bug. "Corruption does not just happen overnight," said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore. Zhang's downfall is linked to his promotion of Li Shangfu, who was kicked off the CMC in 2023 and expelled from the party last year.
The investigations will also likely reveal more names as interrogations are carried out. "More arrests are likely," Wu said. The outcome for China's top military leaders remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Xi Jinping wants Zhang Youxia gone.
But power struggles are likely more to blame than corruption. "This is easily the most significant PLA purge in the post-Mao era," said Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society thinktank. "It's hard to overstate how rare this is … it would be like arresting the chair of the US joint chiefs of staff for corruption."
Zhang was once considered one of Xi's closest military allies, but now faces allegations that he betrayed the trust and expectations of the party and the CMC. His appointment to the CMC at the 20th party congress in 2022, when he was past the normal retirement age, indicated that he was a trusted figure until relatively recently.
However, Xi seems determined to prove otherwise, asserting his authority at all costs. "For Xi, there's nothing more important than strengthening party discipline and ensuring it does not go the same way as the Soviet Communist party, which in his view was rendered ineffective by corruption," said Thomas. The party's control of the armed forces is central to its grip on power, making Xi willing to assert his authority even if it means a somewhat absurd CMC lineup.
The purge may actually increase China's military readiness for an assault on Taiwan. "I think it would be a major mistake to assume that the Chinese military lacks capable senior officers or that it is less likely to move against Taiwan due to this recent shake-up of the CMC," said Lyle Goldstein, the director of the Asia programme at Defense Priorities.
More arrests are likely in connection with the investigation. Scholars describe corruption as a feature of the system, not a bug. "Corruption does not just happen overnight," said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore. Zhang's downfall is linked to his promotion of Li Shangfu, who was kicked off the CMC in 2023 and expelled from the party last year.
The investigations will also likely reveal more names as interrogations are carried out. "More arrests are likely," Wu said. The outcome for China's top military leaders remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Xi Jinping wants Zhang Youxia gone.
. They're saying this purge is all about corruption, but I'm like "no way" 
. Power struggles are what's really going on here. These military generals are like pawns in Xi Jinping's game of power, and he's just eliminating anyone who gets in his way 
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. I mean, come on, being appointed to the CMC at 65? That's not exactly subtle 
. It's like they're saying "oh, corruption only happens overnight" 
, but we all know it's been going on for years. The fact that more arrests are likely just means Xi is trying to clean up his own mess 
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. I mean, who wants a bunch of scared and uncertain generals running the show? It's like throwing a bunch of rookie soldiers into a foxhole without training them first 
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. This whole situation is just too complex, and I'm not even sure what's going on anymore 
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. There's definitely something fishy going on here... 
and then suddenly he's under investigation? It smells like a power struggle to me 
. And what's with all these arrests and interrogations? Sounds like Xi Jinping is just trying to consolidate his own position 
. It feels like there's more to this purge than just corruption allegations. I think we should be careful not to jump to conclusions and assume the worst about people. Zhang's downfall could be a result of his loyalty to Xi, but it also raises questions about the overall stability of the military 
. And maybe we can all take away from this the importance of having trust and loyalty in our own leadership structures 
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Maybe he's trying to send a message to his opponents or something? It's all pretty confusing, but one thing's for sure: Zhang Youxia is in big trouble now 
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- it's because Xi is having none of them 
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. Maybe this purge is just another example of how deeply entrenched corruption is in China's military 
. Zhang Youxia was once a trusted ally, but now he's being sacrificed for the sake ofXi's authority 
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. But what's really at play here is Xi's willingness to purge anyone who gets in his way 
. Zhang Youxia's downfall is just one part of a larger game of power struggles within the PLA 
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. It's also worth noting that more arrests are likely coming as the investigation unfolds 
. One thing is for sure: Xi Jinping wants Zhang Youxia gone, and he'll stop at nothing to get it 
i'm no expert but it seems like there are way more power struggles going on behind the scenes than actual corruption issues 
what's next??? 
. Like, if he was trusted enough to be on the CMC at 60, what changed? Did he just become a bad apple overnight? It's gotta be about power struggles instead of actual corruption 
. The purge might even make China more aggressive towards Taiwan – not good for anyone 
. Can't help but wonder what other skeletons will come out of this investigation...
. It seems like Xi Jinping is playing the long game, trying to assert his authority and strengthen party discipline 
. The fact that he was appointed to the CMC at 60 and then had Li Shangfu promoted to a high-ranking position is suspicious 
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. The fact that corruption is seen as an inherent part of the system rather than a problem to be solved is really concerning 