China state media says probe into General Zhang Youxia will remove ‘roadblocks’ and boost combat effectiveness
China’s state media says probes into senior generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli will boost PLA combat effectiveness. The investigations, part of Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-graft drive, come amid claims of internal dissent and a wider military purge.
- State media said investigations into senior generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli would strengthen combat effectiveness and discipline within the PLA.
- The Ministry of Defence has not disclosed reasons for the probes, but the PLA Daily labelled the officers “corrupt elements”.
- The investigations come amid broader military purges and claims of a leaked letter alleging political motives behind Zhang’s case.
BEIJING, CHINA: China’s anti-corruption investigation into senior military leaders, including General Zhang Youxia, will strengthen the armed forces and remove obstacles to combat effectiveness, state media said on 2 February 2026.
In a front-page editorial, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Daily described Zhang and fellow senior officer Liu Zhenli as “corrupt elements” whose investigation and punishment would help cleanse the military and improve readiness.
The editorial said the “resolute investigation and punishment” of the two generals would “remove roadblocks” and “squeeze out the water diluting combat effectiveness”, echoing long-standing official narratives linking corruption to weakened military capability.
Defence ministry confirms investigations
China’s Ministry of Defence announced last month that it was investigating Zhang, vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), and Liu, chief of staff of the CMC’s joint staff department, which oversees combat planning.
The ministry did not provide details on the alleged violations that prompted the investigations, a common practice in high-level disciplinary cases within the Chinese Communist Party.
Zhang and Liu are the latest senior figures to fall under President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption drive, which has targeted party, government and military officials since he came to power more than a decade ago.
Alleged leaked letter adds political dimension
Scrutiny of China’s military leadership intensified in late January after authorities confirmed investigations into the two generals, followed by claims that a confidential letter from Zhang had been leaked overseas.
On 24 January 2026, the Ministry of Defence announced that Zhang was under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and the law, marking one of the highest-profile cases in recent years.
On 29 January, the US-based Chinese-language outlet The Epoch Times claimed it had obtained a confidential letter written by Zhang shortly before his detention.
According to the publication, the letter was allegedly written in December 2025 and provided by a whistleblower, with instructions that it be made public if Zhang were detained.
Zhang exposes rift with Xi & fears of a personal army
In the letter, Zhang reportedly claimed that his expected arrest stemmed from political and ideological disagreements with Xi rather than corruption.
He argued that Xi had transformed the CMC chairman responsibility system into unchecked personal rule, risking the PLA becoming a “personal army”.
Zhang warned that loyalty-based promotions and personality-cult politics resembled Cultural Revolution-era practices and could fuel public resentment.
The letter described deep policy disagreements with Xi over Taiwan, relations with Russia, senior military appointments and moving China onto a wartime footing.
Zhang alleges Xi sought war, framing Taiwan reunification as personal legacy
Zhang reportedly wrote that he could have staged a coup but refused, citing the danger of civil war and mass bloodshed.
He criticised public displays of personal adulation toward Xi and warned that excessive concentration of power could endanger both the party and the country.
According to the report, Zhang urged Xi to step down in 2027, avoid war and return to reform and collective governance.
On Taiwan, Zhang warned that conflict would likely draw in the United States and Japan, causing catastrophic casualties, economic collapse and possible internal unrest.
He also reassessed China’s “no limits” partnership with Russia as a strategic mistake, arguing the war in Ukraine had damaged China’s global standing.
Chinese authorities have not commented on the authenticity of the alleged letter.
Broader military purge context
The investigations into Zhang and Liu occurred amid broader turbulence within China’s military leadership, including repeated purges and leadership reshuffles.
In October 2025, nine generals were expelled from the Communist Party on corruption charges, including former CMC vice chairman He Weidong.
Others removed included Miao Hua, He Hongjun, Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, Qin Shutong, Yuan Huazhi and Wang Chunning, representing the uppermost tier of the PLA’s leadership.
Beijing has consistently framed these actions as necessary to strengthen discipline and combat corruption, while critics have argued that the campaign may also serve to consolidate Xi’s political control over the military.
