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China expels two top military commanders from the Communist Party
September 23, 2026
China's Politburo expelled Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the party and the military, citing alleged corruption and disloyalty.
Since taking power in 2012, Xi Jinping has run an extensive campaign against corruption and indiscipline that has reached senior party, government and military officials.
Key facts
- Reuters reports that Zhang, whose father was close to Xi's father, was regarded for years as Xi's nearest ally in uniform and served as his deputy on the Central Military Commission (CMC), the country's highest defense command.
- AP News reports that the Communist Party has thrown out two senior Chinese military figures, citing alleged graft and disloyalty.
Reuters reports that the ruling Politburo removed Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from both the Communist Party and the armed forces this week, the latest step in a crackdown Xi Jinping has run since taking power in 2012. Zhang served as Xi's deputy on the Central Military Commission and was long seen as his closest ally in uniform. AP News carries the same expulsions and adds the charges: the two are accused of abusing power over promotions and taking gifts and money, and their cases now sit with military prosecutors. The New York Times headline agrees that a former commander was charged with corruption and pushed out of the party.
The outlets differ in emphasis, not in fact. AP News keeps to the charges and to Xi's call for a clean, loyal military. Reuters asks what the purge does to China's capacity to fight. Ruby Osman of the Tony Blair Institute tells Reuters that Xi accepts turmoil now in exchange for a more disciplined force later, and Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund says that for now some choices may be Xi's alone. Tian Shichen of the Global Governance Institution rejects the idea that the purges weaken the forces.
The expulsions and the charges are corroborated. Reuters notes that five places on the commission's seven-person committee are still vacant, and James Char expects them to stay empty until the party congress in late 2027.
Still developing
The Central Military Commission's vacant places had not been filled as of the draft.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- Reuters — Analysis-China’s purges of top military commanders spur questions about war-waging ability - Internazionale
- AP News — China expels 2 top military leaders accused of corruption from the ruling Communist Party - Ottumwa Courier
Toggle read the full reports of 2 of the 3 outlets counted on this event. The other 1 are counted from their headlines and opening sentences.