BEIJING – China’s top military leaders gathered for high-level meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping this week, two familiar faces were missing, and their absence was impossible to ignore.
Later, authorities confirmed that country’s highest-ranking general and another senior commander are under investigation for suspected “serious violations of discipline”.
The stunning announcement marks the latest and most explosive chapter in President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-graft campaign, which has relentlessly targeted senior figures across the party, government, and armed forces since he consolidated power more than a decade ago.
Defence ministry also launched formal investigations into Zhang Youxia, senior vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), and Liu Zhenli, the military’s top operational planner. Both men are suspected of violating party discipline and the law.
Youxia, a core member of China’s military establishment, is the most senior general in the People’s Liberation Army, the higher-ranking of the CMC’s two vice chairmen, and a member of the Communist Party’s elite 24-member Politburo. Only Xi Jinping, who has chaired the CMC since 2012, outranks him.
The second official named in the probe, Liu Zhenli, who serves as chief of staff of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department, the powerful body responsible for combat planning and overseeing military operations.
President Xi Jinping repeatedly termed corruption as the Communist Party’s “biggest threat,” warning that the battle against graft remains “grave and complex.” Supporters argue the campaign is basic to restore discipline and loyalty within armed forces. Critics, however, say it also functions as a political weapon to eliminate rivals and consolidate power.
The latest probes follow string of dramatic purges within the military. In October, Chinese authorities revealed that nine military officials were under investigation, leading to the expulsion of two of the country’s most senior generals.
The crackdown also claimed former defence ministers. Couple of years back, Shangfu was expelled from the Communist Party after being removed from office over alleged bribery. His predecessor, Wei Fenghe, was likewise expelled and handed over to prosecutors on corruption charges.
