Xi Jinping Cleanses High Command: Galwan-Era Top General Zhang Youxia Stripped Of Party And Military Rank
· Free Press Journal
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader President Xi Jinping delivered the ultimate blow to the top ranks of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by officially expelling General Zhang Youxia from both the CCP and the military.
According to a Vision Times report, the decision, approved by the CCP Politburo, marks the dramatic downfall of China’s highest-ranking military officer beneath Xi himself and removes one of the last true combat veterans from the PLA’s operational command.
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Liu Zhenli, former chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department, was expelled alongside Zhang in the sweeping purge.
Zhang previously served as the first-ranked Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), effectively making him the second-most senior figure in China's military apparatus. His fall is particularly profound given his historic closeness to Xi—their families shared ties dating back to the revolutionary era—and his reputation as an indispensable operational strategist.
Key role in the 2020 Galwan clash
Beyond his early combat experience in China’s 1979 war with Vietnam, Zhang played a crucial behind-the-scenes role in directing China’s modern border strategy. As Vice Chairman of the CMC during the peak of India-China border tensions in 2020, Zhang was directly responsible for operational readiness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
When the deadly, hand-to-hand brawl erupted in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, Zhang was a key architect overseeing the PLA Western Theatre Command’s deployment.
Under his direction, the PLA rapidly fortified high-altitude infrastructure, deployed heavy armour and overhauled frontline logistics in Ladakh and Tibet. Zhang’s conduct transformed the LAC into a heavily militarised front.
Severe accusations of political disloyalty and factions
Both Zhang and Liu were first placed under investigation on January 24 for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law,” before being stripped of their state CMC titles by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee in August.
The official notice detailing Zhang’s expulsion used unusually severe political language, accusing him of having “seriously violated political discipline and political rules, formed cliques and factions, and were disloyal and dishonest to the party.”
Accusations of faction-building carry massive political weight in Beijing, as they imply that Zhang built personal power networks capable of challenging the Party’s centralised chain of command.
Authorities further accused Zhang of using his immense power to assist others with promotions in exchange for massive bribes, failing to uphold political discipline and turning a blind eye to improper dealings by his relatives and staff.
Zhang’s removal reaches far beyond standard anti-corruption sweeps, representing the highest-profile purge of China’s military leadership in modern history.
The CMC formed after the CCP’s 20th Party Congress in 2022 originally consisted of seven members. Five have now been removed, including former defence minister Li Shangfu, former CMC vice chairman He Weidong, former Political Work Department chief Miao Hua, Liu Zhenli and now Zhang Youxia.
This leaves President Xi and Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin as the only active members remaining from the original seven-member body.