China has purged its highest-ranked military general. Why?

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete January 27, 2026 at 12:19 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

China's highest-ranking general, Zhang Youxia, and another senior officer, Gen Liu Zhenli, have been purged, leaving the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in disarray. Zhang was the vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Communist Party group controlling the armed forces. The CMC is now reduced to just two members, Xi Jinping and Gen Zhang Shengmin, after multiple "anti-corruption" crackdowns. The reasons for the purges are unclear, with speculation ranging from leaking secrets to coup plotting, but the official accusation is "serious violations of discipline and law," a euphemism for corruption. Experts suggest this creates a leadership void within the PLA and raises questions about Xi Jinping's control over the military and China's warfighting capabilities. The situation highlights the opacity of information within Beijing and fuels uncertainty.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United States 30% National University of Singapore 35% Asia Society Policy Institute 35% Deng Xiaoping 40% Zhang Shengmin 50% Taiwan 60% Liu Zhenli ×370% Xi Jinping ×480% Central Military Commission (CMC) ×585% Zhang Youxia ×590% People's Liberation Army (PLA) ×590% China ×695%

Keywords

military purge 90% people's liberation army (pla) 80% xi jinping 70% central military commission (cmc) 70% corruption 60% power struggle 60% military leadership 50% leadership void 50% taiwan 40%