NIGERIA TV INFO — INTERNATIONAL / ASIA–PACIFIC MILITARY & POLITICAL NEWS

China Launches Investigation Into Top General in Rare Military Crackdown

Beijing — China has placed its highest-ranking serving military officer under investigation, marking one of the most significant crackdowns on the armed forces in decades and signaling renewed efforts by President Xi Jinping to tighten control over the military.

China’s Ministry of National Defence announced on Thursday that General Zhang Youxia, a vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), is being probed for “grave violations of discipline and the law” — language commonly used by Chinese authorities to indicate serious allegations, often linked to corruption. No further details were disclosed.

The ministry also confirmed that General Liu Zhenli, another senior officer in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), is under investigation as part of the same sweeping probe.

General Zhang, 75, is one of China’s most influential military and political figures. He serves on the 24-member Politburo and is a key member of the CMC, the Communist Party body that commands China’s armed forces and is chaired by President Xi.

Widely regarded as President Xi’s closest military ally, Zhang had remained in office beyond the customary retirement age, a move previously seen as a clear sign of Xi’s personal trust. His sudden fall from favor underscores the depth of the current military purge.

Zhang comes from a revolutionary lineage — his father was a founding general of the Communist Party — and he joined the army in 1968. He is among the few senior Chinese military leaders with actual combat experience, further highlighting the gravity of the investigation.

Analysts say the probe reflects President Xi’s ongoing campaign to eliminate corruption and reinforce absolute loyalty within the PLA, an institution he views as critical to China’s national security and political stability.

The investigation adds to a growing list of senior military officials targeted in recent years, reinforcing concerns about internal discipline and power struggles within China’s armed forces.