Overview
- China’s defense ministry said on Jan. 24 that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law,” language commonly used for major party cases.
- PLA Daily accused the generals of betraying the Party and undermining the CMC chairman’s responsibility system, signaling allegations that go beyond routine graft.
- With their ouster reported, the Central Military Commission is effectively down to Xi Jinping and anti-graft chief Zhang Shengmin, a drastic reduction from the usual seven members.
- Analysts say the purge removes rare combat experience at the top and could erode cohesion, morale, and readiness for complex joint operations in the near term.
- Rumors ranging from coup plotting to nuclear leaks are circulating, but these claims remain unverified by independent sources.