The most senior uniformed officer in the Chinese military has been placed under investigation, marking the collapse of the Central Military Commission
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a formal investigation into General Zhang Youxia, the senior vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and the country’s highest-ranking uniformed officer. The announcement, made on Saturday, 24 January 2026, has sent shockwaves through the global diplomatic community as it targets a man previously considered Xi’s closest and most “untouchable” military ally. Alongside Zhang, General Liu Zhenli, the chief of the Joint Staff Department, was also placed under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and the law.”
The removal of these heavyweight commanders represents the final phase of a relentless campaign to consolidate absolute authority over the People’s Liberation Army. By targeting the very top of the hierarchy, Xi has signalled that no amount of historical loyalty or princeling status can provide immunity in the current political climate. The dual investigations effectively leave the country’s highest military decision-making body hollowed out, with only two of its original seven members remaining active in their roles.
The total collapse of the high command structure
The Central Military Commission is the most powerful institution in the Chinese political system, serving as the twin party-state body that controls the armed forces. Since the 20th Party Congress in late 2022, this seven-member body has been methodically dismantled. The purge began with Defence Minister Li Shangfu in 2024, followed by the expulsion of the other vice-chairman, He Weidong, in October 2025. With the latest removals of Zhang and Liu, the commission has ceased to function as a collaborative leadership group.
Also Read: The World’s Power Still Works. Its Rules No Longer Do
Currently, the only members left are Xi Jinping himself and General Zhang Shengmin, a junior official who oversees the military’s internal discipline and anti-corruption efforts. This near-total vacancy at the top of the People’s Liberation Army is unprecedented in the modern era, drawing comparisons to the chaotic leadership purges of the Cultural Revolution. The lack of immediate replacements suggests that Xi is comfortable governing the military through a direct, centralised command line rather than through the traditional commission structure.
Allegations of treason and nuclear security leaks
While the official announcement cited “serious violations of discipline”—a common euphemism for corruption—leaks to international media suggest a much more severe set of charges. Reports have emerged indicating that Zhang Youxia is being accused of leaking core technical data regarding China’s nuclear weapons program to the United States. This allegation, if proven, would elevate the case from a standard graft investigation to one of high treason, potentially carrying the death penalty.
These claims of nuclear espionage coincide with broader anxieties in Beijing regarding the security of the Rocket Force, which has already seen its top leadership replaced in 2024. The suggestion that a senior vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission could be involved in such a breach has profound implications for China’s strategic deterrent. It indicates a level of institutional suspicion that transcends simple bribery and suggests a deep-seated fear of foreign intelligence penetration at the highest levels of the state.
Implications for the 2027 Taiwan timeline
The removal of Zhang and Liu is particularly significant because both men were among the very few remaining senior officers with genuine combat experience, having fought in the 1979 border war with Vietnam. Their absence removes a layer of experienced, pragmatic counsel at a time when tensions over Taiwan are reaching a critical threshold. Military analysts have noted that by culling combat veterans, Xi may be removing the only voices capable of offering a realistic assessment of the risks associated with a cross-strait invasion.
The “Decade of Concern” leading up to the 2027 centenary of the People’s Liberation Army has long been identified as a period of high risk for regional conflict. By hollowing out the Central Military Commission now, Xi ensures that any decision regarding military escalation will be his alone, unchallenged by senior peers who might otherwise advise caution. The result is a military leadership that is intensely loyal and ideologically aligned, but one that lacks the operational depth and institutional memory required for complex, high-stakes warfare.
The Hinge Point
The investigation into Zhang Youxia marks the moment when the Chinese military ceases to be a partner of the Communist Party and becomes an extension of a single person. This is the hinge point because Zhang was the final “institutional anchor”, a man whose family ties and veteran status represented the old guard that balanced Xi’s personal power. The story changes here because the myth of the Central Military Commission as a “collective leadership” body is officially dead; it has been transformed into a hollow administrative shell that exists only to ratify the chairman’s orders.
What cannot remain the same is the world’s perception of Chinese military stability. By accusing his most senior general of leaking nuclear secrets to the West, Xi has admitted that the internal paranoia of the regime has reached the very core of its nuclear shield. This shift means that the People’s Liberation Army is now in its most fragile state of command since the Mao era, defined not by battlefield readiness but by a permanent culture of internal audit and fear. The international community must now prepare for a China in which military decisions are made in an echo chamber, stripped of the professional friction that once served as a safeguard against catastrophic miscalculation.