Beijing removes Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the Communist Party amid President Xi Jinping’s continuing campaign against misconduct in the military.
Published On 21 Sep 2026
China has expelled two senior military leaders from the Communist Party over suspected corruption and other serious violations, marking another major development in President Xi Jinping’s campaign to root out misconduct.
State-run Xinhua news agency reported Monday that official documents accused Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli of breaching political discipline, forming factions and acting dishonestly toward the party. The announcement did not provide details about the alleged offences.
Investigations into the two men were announced in January, and both were removed from their military positions in late August.
Zhang had long been considered one of Xi’s closest military allies and served as the second-ranking official on the Central Military Commission, China’s highest military authority. Liu was a commission member and chief of staff of its Joint Staff Department.
The expulsions extend Xi’s far-reaching anti-corruption campaign, under which thousands of officials have been punished and millions of civil servants investigated. The effort, one of the largest in modern Chinese history, has also resulted in the removal of prominent political rivals.
In June 2024, then-Defence Minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor were expelled from the party in connection with the campaign. China later removed its second-highest-ranking military officer and eight other senior figures from the armed forces and the party.
The military has become an increasingly prominent target of the purges, reducing the Central Military Commission’s active membership from seven to two, including Xi in his role as chairman.
The Defence Ministry announcement came days before Xi was scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington and weeks ahead of an important Communist Party gathering focused on internal governance.
