China purges top military leadership amid anti-corruption drive

China has removed two of its highest-ranking military officials, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from their positions in the country’s Central Military Commission (CMC), in a major shake-up of the Chinese military leadership.

According to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, the decision was taken during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Zhang Youxia, a member of the Politburo and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was one of the most senior figures in China’s military establishment under President Xi Jinping. Liu Zhenli had served as chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department, which oversees military planning and operations.

Investigations into the two senior officials were announced in January. At the time, China’s Ministry of National Defense said Zhang and Liu were suspected of "serious violations of discipline and law"—a phrase frequently used by Chinese authorities in corruption-related cases.

The latest dismissals come amid President Xi Jinping’s extensive anti-corruption campaign, which has brought significant changes to China’s military and political establishment.

However, the removal of Zhang is particularly notable given his seniority and longstanding association with Xi Jinping. His dismissal has therefore drawn considerable attention from observers of Chinese politics and the military.

Reporting on Friday’s meeting of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, Xinhua said the committee had decided to remove Zhang Youxia from his position as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China.

The committee also removed Liu Zhenli from his position as head of the CMC Joint Staff Department, a key military body responsible for strategic and operational planning.