China’s biggest military purge yet shakes Xi Jinping’s grip on the PLA

China’s military is reeling from what is being described as its biggest internal purge so far , one that strikes at the very core of President Xi Jinping’s power base . The removal and detention of General Zhang Youxia , vice chairman of the Central Military Commission , has sent shockwaves through the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and raised questions about loyalty, corruption and political control .

General Zhang, 75, the second-most powerful officer in the PLA after Xi himself, was detained on January 24 along with another senior general, Liu Zhenli , to probe a range of allegations including corruption . Days later, the PLA Daily , the official newspaper of the Chinese military, accused Zhang of threatening the Communist Party’s absolute leadership over the armed forces , an exceptionally serious charge in China’s political system.

Editorials in the PLA Daily acknowledged that “numerous factors” were affecting the party’s absolute control of the military , a principle Xi has relentlessly pushed since taking power in 2012 . The paper admitted that erosion of the PLA’s political character was “real” and that eradicating the breeding ground for corruption remained an arduous and challenging task. It argued that the ongoing crackdown was not evidence of failure but proof that deeper investigation was uncovering long-hidden problems.

Unconfirmed reports have pointed to two main theories behind Zhang’s fall. One alleges that he shared core technical data related to China’s nuclear weapons programme with the United States , including sensitive details about the country’s nuclear arsenal . The other accuses him of accepting bribes in exchange for promotions , including allegedly influencing the appointment of a defence minister . Both allegations have stunned observers, given Zhang’s role in helping Xi purge other senior generals and two defence ministers on corruption charges in recent years.

Zhang’s removal has dramatically reshaped China’s military command structure. The six-member Central Military Commission has effectively been reduced to just two members , Xi Jinping as chairman and General Zhang Shengmin . Analysts say this unprecedented contraction underscores both the scale of the crisis and the depth of mistrust within the PLA’s top ranks .

The PLA Daily defended the purge as essential for restoring combat capability and discipline , arguing that corruption had diluted military effectiveness . Another editorial said the investigation would remove obstacles hindering the development of a strong military and inject new momentum into the armed forces through political rectification .

For Xi, the fallout is deeply personal as well as political. Zhang was a lifelong confidant , a fellow “princeling” whose father fought alongside Xi’s father in the Communist revolution. A veteran of the 1979 war with Vietnam , Zhang was one of the few PLA officers with real battlefield experience and had his retirement extended beyond the age limit at Xi’s discretion.

With at least eight top generals expelled since 2025 and repeated admissions that the party’s control over the military is under strain, Zhang’s purge appears less like an endpoint and more like the beginning of a deeper reckoning . As official narratives harden and investigations widen, signs suggest that China’s military shake-up is far from over .