China has expelled two of its most senior military figures from the Communist Party and the armed forces, accusing them of serious disciplinary violations, corruption and disloyalty in the latest major shake-up of the country’s military leadership.
The two generals are Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. Zhang was a vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, the country’s top military command body, while Liu served as a CMC member and chief of the Joint Staff Department. Zhang was also a member of the Communist Party’s Politburo.
The expulsions were approved by the Communist Party’s Politburo on Sept. 21 after investigations into the two officers. Their cases have been transferred to military legal authorities for further review and prosecution, according to Chinese state media. The expulsions are still subject to formal ratification by a plenary session of the Communist Party’s Central Committee.
Chinese authorities accused Zhang and Liu of violating political discipline, forming cliques and factions, being disloyal to the Communist Party and abusing their positions.
Investigators also alleged that the two men accepted large sums of money and used their positions to help others obtain promotions. State media described the amounts involved as exceptionally large and said the alleged political and economic misconduct was intertwined with dereliction of duty and abuse of office.
The allegations against Zhang are particularly significant because he had long been regarded as one of President Xi Jinping’s closest military allies and was China’s highest-ranking uniformed military officer before his removal.
His fall marks a dramatic change for an officer who had also been one of the few senior Chinese commanders with combat experience.
Investigations into Zhang and Liu were announced in January. Both were subsequently removed from their positions on the state Central Military Commission in August, setting the stage for Monday’s formal expulsions.
The latest action forms part of a much broader anti-corruption campaign within the People’s Liberation Army that has intensified under Xi.
Several senior military officials have been investigated or removed in recent years, including former Defence Minister Li Shangfu and other members of the Central Military Commission. The continuing purge has increasingly focused attention on loyalty, discipline and corruption within China’s armed forces.
What makes the latest case particularly notable is that the accusations go beyond financial misconduct.
Chinese authorities explicitly accused Zhang and Liu of forming factions and being disloyal to the party. Analysts cited by Reuters said such allegations are unusual and carry broader political significance because they concern loyalty to the Communist Party leadership rather than simply corruption or administrative misconduct.
The military shake-up also comes at a sensitive moment for Beijing.
The announcement was made shortly before Xi is scheduled to travel to the United States for talks with President Donald Trump and only weeks before an important Communist Party meeting focused on internal governance and discipline.
The Central Military Commission is headed by Xi and exercises overall command of the People’s Liberation Army. The removal of senior figures therefore has implications for the composition and functioning of China’s top military leadership.
At the same time, the cases demonstrate that Beijing’s campaign against corruption within the military remains active even at the highest levels.
The immediate legal consequences for Zhang and Liu will now depend on the military prosecution process. Their expulsions also leave questions about how China will continue restructuring its senior command and whether additional military officials could face scrutiny.
For Beijing, the latest purge is not simply another corruption case. It comes as China continues modernising its armed forces and navigating increasingly complex security challenges — making the stability and loyalty of its top military leadership an issue under intense attention.
