Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Joint Staff Department Chief Liu Zhenli were stripped of their military posts and expelled from the National People’s Congress, according to official announcements reported by New Tang Dynasty Television. The August 28 conclusion of the 14th NPC Standing Committee meeting formalized the removals, leaving the ruling party’s top military command reduced to Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin.
Military Command Shakeup and Political Bureau Exits
The sweeping purge removed Zhang Youxia from his post as state Central Military Commission vice chairman, while Liu Zhenli lost his seat as a state CMC member. According to the government web portal’s updated leadership roster, the state and party military commissions now operate as a two-man panel consisting solely of Chairman Xi Jinping and Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin, reflecting the party’s monopoly on armed forces.
Hong Kong’s Ming Pao reported on August 31 that a Political Bureau meeting formally stripped Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli of their military leadership duties and expelled Zhang from the Politburo. State media outlet Xinhua’s “20th Central Leadership Organs” directory shows the Politburo has shrunk from 24 members to 21, with He Weidong, Ma Xingrui, and Zhang Youxia absent from the updated list.
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Under party regulations, the Central Committee decides military commission composition, while the Politburo exercises central committee powers during inter-session periods, allowing leadership bodies to bypass plenary votes for immediate personnel removals.
Widespread Purge of Theater Commanders and Top Generals
Beyond the high-profile exits of Zhang and Liu, statistical tracking shows a total of 19 Central Committee members facing removal or NPC disqualification. Prominent military figures missing from public view include former Western Theater Commander Wang Haijiang, former Navy Commander Hu Zhongming, former Northern Theater Commander Huang Ming, former Southern Theater Commander Wu Yanan, former Central Theater Commander Wang Qiang, former Air Force Commander Chang Dingqiu, and former Tibet Military District Commander Wang Kai.
Additional purged officials span joint staff and regional commands, featuring former Eastern Theater Political Commissar Liu Qingsong, former Southern Theater Political Commissar Wang Wenquan, former Central Theater Political Commissar Xu Deqing, former Rocket Force Political Commissar Xu Xisheng, former Xinjiang Military District Political Commissar Yang Cheng, former Joint Staff Deputy Chief Xu Qiling, former Academy of Military Sciences President Yang Xuejun, and former CMC National Defense Mobilization Department Director Liu Faqing.
Internal Power Consolidation Ahead of Party Plenum
The upcoming Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, scheduled for October, is expected to formally announce the expulsion of Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli, and other senior officers from the party and military. Media analysis indicates that up to 40 individuals could lose their Central Committee credentials during the gathering.
Data compiled from military purges spanning from 2023 onward shows that 32 full generals have been investigated or disciplined, alongside 25 generals who have gone missing, bringing the total number of senior commanders caught in the crackdown since the 20th Party Congress to 57.
Former Central Commission for Discipline Inspection official Wang Youqun wrote in an August 29 commentary published by The Epoch Times that the 14-year campaign functions primarily as a mechanism for elite political rivalry and absolute power consolidation rather than institutional anti-corruption. Wang stated that Xi Jinping targeted figures like Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli out of concern that military command structures were being hollowed out, threatening his fourth-term ambitions and driving him to coordinate contingency measures with close allies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who remains on the Chinese Communist Party Central Military Commission?
Following the August removals, the Central Military Commission is left with only Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin.
Which high-ranking officials lost their posts in the latest announcement?
Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were stripped of their military positions and removed as National People’s Congress deputies, alongside Juguansheng and Zhong Shaojun.
When is the next major party meeting regarding these appointments?
The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee is scheduled to take place in October.
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