China removes two top generals from state military commission

A formal break after months of uncertainty

China's legislature on Friday stripped Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli of their posts on the state Central Military Commission, completing an institutional step that had been expected since both men were placed under investigation in January. Xinhua disclosed the decision after a meeting of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, without detailing the allegations beyond previously announced suspicions of serious disciplinary and legal violations.channelnewsasia +1

The action applies to the commission of the People's Republic of China. China maintains parallel state and Communist Party military commissions, and no public announcement has formally removed either officer from the party body.channelnewsasia That distinction may be procedural rather than protective, but it shows that Friday's decision was a specific legal and personnel action rather than a fresh disclosure about the underlying cases.

Xi's once-trusted commander is pushed aside

Zhang, 75, was the senior uniformed officer beneath President Xi Jinping, a Politburo member and one of the country's few serving generals with combat experience. He fought in clashes with Vietnam and was retained beyond the military's customary retirement age, a decision previously viewed as evidence of Xi's confidence in him.reuters +1 Liu led the commission's Joint Staff Department, putting him at the center of operational planning.reuters

Their January investigations followed repeated removals across the People's Liberation Army's upper ranks. A CSIS assessment says more than 100 senior officers have been dismissed or gone missing since 2022, affecting roughly 52% of the PLA's top leadership positions.csis The campaign has reached service chiefs, theater commands, procurement officials and former defense ministers, expanding well beyond an isolated corruption case.

Control tightens as operational depth thins

The immediate result is a high command concentrated around Xi and Zhang Shengmin, the discipline specialist who survived the upheaval. Reporting after the January probes described them as the only two active figures left from the commission's previous seven-member lineup.bbc +1 The vacancies give Xi room to rebuild the body around political reliability, but they also leave fewer experienced officers available for promotion.

Analysts disagree on the military consequences. Near term, vacant billets and newly promoted commanders could complicate joint planning, large exercises and a complex operation against Taiwan; over time, younger and more technically capable loyalists could emerge from the overhaul.csis +1 Friday's removals do not settle that debate. They do confirm that the leadership rupture announced in January has advanced from investigation to formal expulsion from China's state command structure.