In a Surprise, Xi Ousts His Most Trusted Commander

China's latest military shake-up has US officials and China-watchers parsing a familiar question: is Xi Jinping tightening control out of strength, or out of fear? Beijing disclosed on Jan. 24 that two of the country's most senior military figures—Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Gen. Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the commission's joint staff department—are under investigation for "grave violations," per the New York Times and Business Insider. The move stunned analysts because Zhang, a decorated veteran of the 1979 war with Vietnam and childhood friend of Xi, was widely seen as Xi's most trusted commander.

With their ouster, Xi has now removed all but one of the six generals he named to the powerful Central Military Commission in 2022, leaving a conspicuous gap at the top of the world's largest standing army. Only the commission's anti-graft officer and Xi himself remain. Additionally, a Times analysis found that almost all of the 30 top theater and specialty commanders in place at the start of 2023 have since been sidelined or vanished from view.

US intelligence assessments in recent years have described Xi as deeply suspicious, and current and former officials say the Zhang purge fits a broader pattern: a leader who has used sweeping anti-corruption drives since 2012 to centralize power, eliminate rivals, and narrow the circle of those he trusts. Scholars note that in authoritarian systems, generals are often purged either for becoming too influential or for failing to deliver, making senior command a politically precarious job. But Beijing insists the latest actions are about graft, not politics.

A Chinese Embassy spokesperson in Washington framed the investigations as part of a "zero-tolerance" anti-corruption push, while the military's official newspaper said it was a "major achievement" in the fight against corruption. US officials, meanwhile, dispute unverified claims reported by the Wall Street Journal that Zhang had spied for Washington or passed nuclear secrets. Some analysts say the timing suggests Xi may be trying to neutralize any potential challenger before the next party congress in 2027, when he could seek a fourth term rather than designate a successor. The scale of the shake-up has also raised concerns about internal strains over strategy toward Taiwan, per the Journal.