{"id":2552729,"date":"2026-01-26T12:11:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-chinese-general-purged-from-military-on-accusations-of-betraying-xi-jinping\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T12:14:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:14:36","slug":"top-chinese-general-purged-from-military-on-accusations-of-betraying-xi-jinping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-chinese-general-purged-from-military-on-accusations-of-betraying-xi-jinping\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Chinese general purged from military on accusations of betraying Xi Jinping"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftop-chinese-general-purged-from-military-on-accusations-of-betraying-xi-jinping%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2552729&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A top People\u2019s Liberation Army leader, Gen. Zhang youxia \u2014 a 75-year-old Politburo member and vice chairman of China\u2019s Central Military Commission \u2014 has been dismissed amid allegations of \u201cgrave violations of discipline and law\u201d and punished alongside Gen.Liu Zhenli.State media and a PLA Daily editorial framed the action as a major anti-corruption victory, accusing the two generals of fostering political and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-ukraine-neocon-narrative-is-unraveling\/\" title=\"The Ukraine Neocon Narrative is Unraveling\">corruption problems<\/a> that undermined the Party\u2019s absolute leadership and damaged the commission\u2019s prestige. Zhang, long considered a trusted \u201cprinceling\u201d ally of Xi Jinping, was an unexpected target, prompting speculation about the real reasons for his ouster; the Wall Street Journal has reported (citing anonymous sources) allegations he leaked nuclear secrets to the United States.The move is the latest in Xi\u2019s military anti-corruption campaign, which as 2023 has removed dozens of senior officers and further consolidated Xi\u2019s control over the PLA.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Top Chinese general purged from military on accusations of betraying Xi Jinping<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2484532\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A top commander in the Central Military Commission of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\">People&rsquo;s Republic of China<\/a> has been purged, signaling that even Beijing insiders close to Xi Jinping are at risk of being ousted.<\/p>\n<p>Gen. Zhang Youxia, who also sits as a member of the Political Bureau of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/communist-party\/\">Chinese Communist Party<\/a>, was dismissed from his role as vice chairman of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-military-scientists-discussed-weaponizing-sars-coronaviruses-in-document-obtained-by-u-s-government-australian-media\/\" title=\"... Scientists Discussed Weaponizing SARS Coronaviruses In Document Obtained By U.S. Government: Australian Media\">military commission<\/a> under suspicion of &ldquo;grave violations of discipline and law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4433164\/eu-investigation-elon-musk-grok-sexualized-deepfakes\/\">EU opens investigation into Elon Musk over Grok&#8217;s sexualized deepfakes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4433220\/idf-announces-final-hostage-ran-gvili-remains-recovered-gaza\/\">Israeli military announces final hostage remains recovered from Gaza<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4433043\/carney-no-intention-signing-free-trade-deal-china\/\">Canada has &#8216;no intention&#8217; of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >signing free trade deal<\/a> with China, Carney says<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>He was punished alongside Gen. Liu Zhenli, the chief of staff of the Central Military Commission&rsquo;s Joint Staff Department.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The resolute investigation and punishment of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kissinger-biden-must-uphold-trump-admins-brilliant-success-in-the-middle-east\/\" title=\"Kissinger: Biden Must Uphold Trump Admin\u2019s \u2018Brilliant\u2019 Success in the Middle East\">major achievement<\/a> in the Party and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-the-biden-administration-is-politicizing-the-military\/\" title=\"How the Biden Administration is Politicizing the ...\">military&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s anti-corruption struggle, an important manifestation of the Party and the military&rsquo;s determination and strength, and is of great significance for winning the overall, protracted, and decisive battle against corruption in the military,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.news.cn\/politics\/20260124\/eb3148439da1428788846c2c5516cba1\/c.html\">an editorial<\/a> in the state-owned People&rsquo;s Liberation Army Daily declared Saturday.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China&rsquo;s Central Military Commission attends the opening session of the National People&rsquo;s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The editorial went on to accuse the two generals of having &ldquo;seriously fostered political and corruption problems that undermined the Party&rsquo;s absolute leadership over the military and threatened the Party&rsquo;s ruling foundation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It also claimed they have &ldquo;seriously damaged the image and prestige of the Central Military Commission, and severely impacted the political and ideological foundation for unity and progress among all officers and soldiers.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Zhang is the more surprising of the two dismissals &mdash; the 75-year-old party fixture has long been thought too powerful and too trusted to be affected by the waves of purges that have rocked the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3926377\/the-chinese-ambitions-behind-threats-of-a-multipolar-world\/\">Chinese military<\/a> for years.<\/p>\n<p>The content and style of the charges published in CCP-operated media outlets seem to indicate that the primary complaint relates to disloyalty toward <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/xi-jinping\/\">paramount leader Xi Jinping<\/a>, who previously considered Zhang one of his closest allies.<\/p>\n<p>Xi and Zhang were both raised as &ldquo;princelings&rdquo; or &ldquo;red heirs&rdquo; &mdash; children of prominent Communist Party officials who were groomed for leadership from a young age and excelled in politics through nepotism and elite connections. Their fathers fought side by side in the civil war, which ultimately installed Mao Zedong to power and ushered in the People&rsquo;s Republic.<\/p>\n<p>The granular details of Zhang&rsquo;s alleged crimes remain unclear, spurring widespread speculation among experts.<\/p>\n<p>A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/china\/chinas-top-general-accused-of-giving-nuclear-secrets-to-u-s-b8f59dae\">report<\/a> published in the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> on Sunday claimed Zhang&rsquo;s preeminent crime was leaking nuclear secrets to the United States, citing anonymous sources, but purges of lower-ranking officials have been ongoing for much lesser crimes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the closing ceremony of the Chinese People&rsquo;s Political Consultative Conference held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Xi has been spearheading an anticorruption campaign within the Chinese military for years, seeking to dismantle political cliques and disband networks used to share influence and resources to enrich members.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4432511\/trump-threatens-canada-100-percent-tariff-partnership-china\/\">TRUMP THREATENS CANADA WITH 100% TARIFF OVER NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Over 50 high-ranking military and defense officials have been purged since the campaign began in 2023, with countless more removed at lower levels.<\/p>\n<p>Having almost entirely gutted the command structure of the Central Military Commission, Xi now enjoys near-unilateral control of the People&rsquo;s Liberation Army.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top general purged over alleged betrayal of Xi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2552730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26024308867683.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[4501,52614,35581],"class_list":["post-2552729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-china","tag-chinese-military","tag-xi-jinping"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26024308867683.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2552729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2552729"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2552729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2552733,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2552729\/revisions\/2552733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2552730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2552729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2552729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2552729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}