Chinese leader Xi Jinping is eliminating rivals as he seeks to reshape the world order. China's Defense Ministry said General Zhang Yuxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Communist Party body that oversees China's armed forces, is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law.” The charge is usually linked to corruption but is also often used to eliminate political opponents. A Defense Ministry spokesman made similar accusations against General Liu Zhenli, who until recently served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Washington Post reported.
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But according to the Wall Street Journal, he passed confidential information about China's nuclear program to the Americans.
The removal of Zhang, the 75-year-old son of a famous revolutionary general who Xi has known since childhood, makes the purge one of the biggest shakeups in China's military since the crackdown on Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Control of the military is considered a key factor in determining the power of Chinese leaders and their political survival. Historical power struggles within the Chinese Communist Party have often been won by whoever has control over the armed forces.
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After the death in 1976 of Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China, strongman leader Deng Xiaoping used his chairmanship of the Central Committee to eliminate rivals and establish himself as the country's de facto leader.
Zhang's removal shows that Xi is seeking to secure complete power for himself.
“Technically, Zhang was the only one who had the military authority to really challenge Xi,” said Yun Song, director of the China program at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington. “Now Xi has concentrated all the power and authority.”
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As first vice chairman—a position that, for example, in the United States would combine the powers of secretary of defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and national security adviser—Zhang had broad authority over everything from promotions and budgets to strategy and operations, and reported only to Xi. Global analysts considered Zhang—a decorated veteran of the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese border war—shielded from suspicion by his rare combat experience and close relationship with Xi.
He had avoided previous purges of senior generals and remained the country's top officer well past retirement age. His dismissal underscores the need for an immediate purge by Xi, analysts say, given that Zhang was due to step down in 2027 at the next five-yearly party congress.
The fall of Zhang and Liu was the most high-profile dismissal since Xi launched a sweeping purge of the Chinese military in 2023, starting with the top leadership of the elite Rocket Force and spreading to the air force, navy and army, eventually dismissing the defense minister and dozens of other officers and defense industry officials.
The extraordinary concentration of military power under Xi also narrows the circle of individuals making critical decisions, including Taiwan and control of China's vast nuclear arsenal.
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The reshuffle of China's military leadership comes as Xi seeks to rapidly modernize the armed forces and achieve his stated goal of being able to invade Taiwan by 2027. In late December, Beijing held unprecedented large-scale military exercises around the island, a show of force that included live-fire missiles and a simulation of a near-total blockade of Taiwan.
China’s military and political leadership structure is among the most opaque in the world. In an annual report released in December, the Pentagon said the sweeping personnel changes likely “created uncertainty about organizational priorities and a lack of continuity,” but noted that streamlining has “the potential to improve the military’s long-term readiness.”
Beyond the military, China is conducting record disciplinary purges within the government, punishing more than 980,000 officials last year, according to official statistics — the highest number since such data began being published in the early 2000s.
We should add that it is not only Xi who seeks to destroy the world order, but also Trump, who is actually proposing to Russia and China to divide the world into spheres of influence.
At the same time, Xi saves Putin from sanctions and helps fight against Ukraine.