China removes high-ranking officers from key military body
China has officially removed two high-ranking military officers, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from the state Central Military Commission following corruption investigations. This move marks a significant development in President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-graft campaign within the military hierarchy.
Why it matters
The removal of such high-level officials suggests a major consolidation of power and internal restructuring within China's top military decision-making body.
China removed two high-ranking officers from the country’s main military body on Friday (August 28, 2026), state media reported, seven months after it was announced that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were being investigated for “serious violations of the law.”
Mr. Zhang's position as the more senior of two vice chairmen on the Central Military Commission (CMC) had made him China's highest-ranked general.
In January, though, the Defence Ministry said that Mr. Zhang and Mr. Liu were "suspected of serious violations of discipline and the law", a common euphemism for corruption.
The announcement fit into the sweeping anti-graft drive that has defined President Xi Jinping's time in power — but Mr. Zhang's fall from grace in particular shocked observers, given his seniority and the perception he was close to Mr. Xi.
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