BEIJING: China’s Ministry of National Defence announced on Saturday that two of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) most senior figures, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, are under investigation for suspected “serious discipline and law violations,” in a move reflecting Beijing’s ongoing military anti‑corruption drive and a rare shake‑up at the highest levels of the armed forces.
The ministry said in a statement that the decision to open inquiries into both men was taken by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee after a review of their conduct, without giving further details about the nature of the alleged violations.
Zhang, 75, serves as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) — China’s top military authority — and is a member of the CPC Political Bureau, the party’s top and powerful decision‑making body. He is widely regarded as one of the PLA’s most senior active‑duty officers and has held significant influence over military planning and modernization efforts.
Liu, 61, is a member of the CMC and chief of staff of its Joint Staff Department, a role central to overseeing the PLA’s joint operations, training, and combat readiness.
State‑run media quoted the defence ministry as saying that both men were suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law,” language commonly used in Chinese official parlance to denote potential corruption, abuse of power, or breaches of party rules.
The announcement comes amid a broader, years‑long anti‑corruption campaign spearheaded by President Xi Jinping, who also chairs the CMC. Since taking office in 2012, Xi has directed sweeping disciplinary actions across the Communist Party, state institutions and the military, resulting in the removal and punishment of thousands of officials.
Zhang’s investigation follows a string of disciplinary cases involving senior commanders, including the expulsion of high‑ranking military officers on graft charges in recent years.
State agencies have yet to release a detailed public timetable for the investigation or clarify whether Zhang and Liu have been detained or removed from their positions. Both men were absent from recent high‑level party events, fuelling speculation about their status prior to the official announcement.
The CPC Central Committee’s decision to investigate figures of such standing is rare, reflecting both the continuing intensity of China’s internal disciplinary campaigns and the Party’s emphasis on rooting out perceived misconduct at all levels of governance.
The Ministry of National Defence and state media said further updates will be released as the investigations progress.
