China Expels Two Top Generals From Party and Military, Citing Disloyalty

What changed

On September 21, China expelled Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia and Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli from the Communist Party and the military. The official announcement cited "disloyalty," "corruption," and the formation of "cliques and factions." These two figures, previously removed from the state Central Military Commission in late August after probes began in January, are described as having engaged in conduct that was "extremely serious" with "exceptionally large" sums involved.

Why it matters

This is not just another routine anti-graft notice; it is a severe political rupture at the apex of the People’s Liberation Army command structure. Zhang Youxia was widely viewed as President Xi Jinping’s closest military ally, and Liu Zhenli managed the joint staff that coordinates operations. Their expulsion leaves only two active figures on the CMC, including Xi himself, out of a formerly seven-member body. The specific charge of "disloyalty" and "forming cliques" is a distinct escalation. As former CIA analyst Dennis Wilder notes, such language harkens back to the political purges of the Mao Zedong era, suggesting the leadership perceives a direct challenge to authority rather than mere financial impropriety.

The immediate consequence is a hollowed-out command tier. With the vice-chairman and chief of staff gone, the operational and political weight of the supreme military body now rests almost entirely on Xi Jinping. This concentration of power, driven by allegations of deep-seated factionalism, signals that the crackdown is targeting the very architecture of loyalty within the elite. For the military establishment, the message is unambiguous: challenge to the party's supreme leader, however well-connected or historically loyal the officer may be, is the ultimate disciplinary breach. The investigation into these specific figures marks a shift from policing external corruption to dismantling internal political networks that threaten the central authority.