China expels two top ‘disloyal’ military leaders from Communist Party

China removes two top generals over corruption, disloyalty as part of an ongoing anti-corruption crackdown.

China has expelled two top military generals from the Chinese Communist Party on suspicion of corruption and other serious misconduct, becoming the latest senior officials to fall afoul of a significant anti-corruption push by President Xi Jinping.

Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli “seriously violated political discipline and political rules, formed cliques and factions, and were disloyal and dishonest to the party”, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday, citing official documents. No details of the alleged crimes were provided.

Investigations into the pair were announced in January, and they were removed from the military in late August.

Zhang was long seen as Xi’s closest military ally as second-in-command of the Central Military Commission, China’s supreme command body. Liu was a CMC member and the chief of staff of its Joint Staff Department.

The expulsions are part of the president’s sweeping anti-corruption crackdown, with thousands of officials being purged and millions within the Chinese bureaucracy investigated. The campaign is among the largest in modern Chinese history, including prior removals of high-profile political rivals.

In June 2024, Defence Minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor were expelled from the party as part of the crackdown. More than a year later, China dismissed the second-highest-ranking general and eight other senior officials from the military and party.

The military has become an increasing target of the anti-corruption purges, leaving two active members – including Xi serving as chairman – on the formerly seven-member CMC.

The Defence Ministry announcement was made days before the Chinese president is set to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington, and weeks before a key Communist Party assembly on internal governance.