dexinwin China has expelled two of its most senior military figures, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from the Communist Party and the military following investigations into serious violations of discipline and law, according to an official announcement on September 21.
The decision marks a major development in China's continuing campaign against corruption and misconduct within the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
According to Xinhua, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision of the Central Military Commission opened investigations into Zhang Youxia, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, a member of the Central Military Commission and former chief of staff of its Joint Staff Department.
The investigations were approved by the Communist Party's Central Committee and the Central Military Commission.
A meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Monday reviewed and approved reports concerning the investigations and proposed disciplinary measures against the two officials.
The official investigation concluded that Zhang and Liu had seriously violated political, organizational, integrity, work and conduct-related disciplines. Authorities also accused them of using their positions to assist others with promotions and accepting large sums of money, as well as accepting gifts and cash in violation of regulations.
The official statement said the two men were suspected of serious duty-related crimes and that political and economic problems were intertwined. It described the amounts involved as particularly large and said the cases were extremely serious.
The authorities decided to expel both men from the Communist Party and terminate their qualifications as delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress. Their suspected criminal offenses will be transferred to military procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution in accordance with the law.
The Party expulsions will be formally ratified at a future plenary session of the CPC Central Committee. The Central Military Commission had previously decided to expel both men from the military, according to the announcement.
The latest action follows the removal of Zhang and Liu from China's state Central Military Commission in August. China's National People's Congress Standing Committee announced on August 28 that Zhang was removed as vice chairman of the state Central Military Commission and Liu was removed as a member.
Zhang had been one of China's most senior military officials and a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. Liu had served as a member of the commission and chief of staff of its Joint Staff Department. Both men were placed under investigation in January 2026 over suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
Their removal comes after several other senior PLA officials were investigated or expelled in recent years as part of China's intensified military anti-corruption campaign.
The Chinese government has repeatedly stated that corruption has no place within the armed forces and that disciplinary enforcement will continue. The latest announcement described the punishment of Zhang and Liu as a significant result of the Party and military's anti-corruption efforts.
The cases are also significant because of the senior positions previously held by both men. Zhang was a member of the Political Bureau and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, while Liu was a senior operational commander within the military leadership.
China's official announcement did not provide details of any criminal proceedings beyond stating that the suspected offenses would be transferred to military procuratorial authorities.
The latest disciplinary action further reshapes the senior leadership of China's military and represents another major step in the authorities' ongoing investigations into senior PLA officials.
As the cases move toward military prosecution, further information about the alleged offenses and potential legal proceedings is expected to emerge through official channels.
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