Top general Zhang Youxia purged as rumors rock the CCP.

The recent purge of China’s top general, Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), marks a potentially historic turning point for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Second only to Xi Jinping himself in the country’s military pecking order, one of the president’s closest longtime military allies has been placed under investigation alongside Gen. Liu Zhenli, the chief of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department,

On Saturday, China’s defence ministry officially announced it had opened an investigation into Zhang, aged 75, and Liu, 61, for “serious violations of discipline and law,” sparking speculation from China watchers that the allegations stem from leaking sensitive nuclear weapons data to the U.S. (potentially the CIA), bribery, and other unspecified corruption-related issues, as well as an attempted coup.

This significant development, described as the most notable People’s Liberation Army purge since the post-Mao era, follows Zhang’s close proximity to Xi Jinping at a military ceremony just weeks prior. Although Zhang and Liu have not been formally removed, the investigation is likely to lead to their ousting. The PLA’s official newspaper on Sunday framed the gravity of the investigation more harshly, alleging Zhang and Liu had “severely trampled on and undermined” the “Party’s ruling foundation” and the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the Central Military Commission chairman—the post held by President Xi Jinping.

Analysts suggest that this unprecedented purge indicates a fierce power struggle between Xi and entrenched military elites.

Zhang, a prominent figure with deep military connections and a member of the influential “red aristocrat” class, represents a significant challenge to Xi’s consolidation of power. His fall signals a potential confrontation between Xi and the princeling networks, as well as a backlash from retired party elders.

Some reports suggest the immediate trigger for this conflict appears to be a disagreement over military strategy regarding Taiwan, with Zhang opposing a hasty military assault. Zhang and Liu Zhenli may have attempted to leverage their positions to force Xi into a power-sharing arrangement, leading to Xi’s extreme purges. Rumors of armed confrontations and a failed rescue operation further complicate the situation, indicating that Beijing may be on the brink of significant unrest.

Former Tiananmen student leader, Tang Boliang, emphasizes that this moment could determine China’s political future and possibly lead to the CCP’s downfall. Both sides, he says, are engaged in a high-stakes battle. Key factors influencing the outcome include the allegiances of influential “red families,” such as the Deng, Chen, Ye, Jiang, Wang, Yao, Zeng, Hu, Wen, and Li families, each with varying degrees of power and potential to sway the conflict. While their choices will impact the struggle, self-preservation may dominate their actions unless a significant turning point emerges.

Geopolitical strategist Ken Cao notes that these new developments have ushered in the weakest year yet for the CCP’s army with President Xi’s actions effectively dismantling the CCP military’s command and leadership structures at every level. The following illustration Cao circulated online shows just two members of the CMC’s seven-member leadership left: Chairman Xi Jinping and discipline chief Zhang Shengmin.

Cao credits Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli as “the last genuinely combat-experienced commanders,” and their removal as a “severe blow not only to the PLA’s military capability, but to the regime itself.”

Since mid-2023, the Bureau reports over 50 senior officers and defense executives have been ousted, including multiple vice chairmen of the CMC. The PLA Daily has also published critical articles about Xi, indicating dissent within the ranks. Overall, the current situation reflects unprecedented disarray in China’s military leadership, regardless of whether it stems from a failed coup or a purge.

Political analyst Wen Rui compared President Xi’s gamble to “a snake trying to swallow an elephant”—a reckless, all-or-nothing move that may herald the collapse of CCP rule itself. The Vision Times news outlet cautions that “every dictator who has sought to centralize power by purging core allies has ended in isolation and ruin.” It points to the Lin Biao incident as having marked the beginning of Mao Zedong’s “fall from his pedestal.” The Zhang Youxia fallout, it warns, “may well become Xi Jinping’s own ‘Lin Biao moment.’”