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China strips former generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli of top military positions
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Fan ChenPublished: 9:06pm, 28 Aug 2026Beijing has formally removed former senior officers Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli as members of China’s supreme military command.
The two generals have been under investigation for alleged discipline violations since January and were officially stripped of their positions on the Central Military Commission (CMC) at a meeting of the National People’s Congress’ Standing Committee on Friday.
As the CMC’s senior vice-chairman, Zhang was the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the Chinese military. Liu was chief of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department.
A commentary by the PLA Daily in January said Zhang and Liu had betrayed the trust of the Communist Party and undermined the party’s absolute control of the military as well as the reputation of the armed forces.
Both Zhang and Liu are decorated veterans and took part in People’s Liberation Army campaigns against Vietnam in the late 1970s.
Their sudden downfall left the country’s top military command with only two members, Chinese President Xi Jinping and vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin, who is in charge of disciplinary affairs within the armed forces.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed00:0000:001.00x