China removes two top military leaders following corruption investigations

On August 28, 2026, Chinese authorities officially removed two high-ranking military officials, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from the Central Military Commission. The decision, announced via the state-run Xinhua news agency following approval by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, concludes months of intensive investigations into the officers' conduct.

Zhang Youxia, who served as vice chairman of the commission and was widely considered the second most powerful figure in China’s military hierarchy after President Xi Jinping, and Liu Zhenli, the chief of the Joint Staff Department, had been under official investigation since January 2026 for "serious violations of discipline and law." While Chinese state sources use these standard bureaucratic phrases to denote corruption, international reports from the Wall Street Journal have alleged that Zhang was specifically under scrutiny for allegedly leaking sensitive information regarding China’s nuclear arsenal to the United States. Additionally, reports indicate accusations of accepting bribes in exchange for officer promotions and attempting to establish a personal influence network within the People’s Liberation Army.

These removals follow early warning signs detected in December 2025. While the government has not yet provided further details or specified future legal proceedings, these actions represent one of the most significant purges within the Chinese military leadership in recent history.