China expels two senior generals amid military anti-corruption drive
Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were expelled from the Communist Party after Chinese state media accused them of corruption, political indiscipline and disloyalty.
China has expelled two senior military generals from the Chinese Communist Party, extending President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign into the upper ranks of the armed forces.
State-run Xinhua reported that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli had allegedly violated political discipline and party rules, formed cliques and factions, and been “disloyal and dishonest” to the party. Authorities did not provide details of the alleged offences.
Investigations into both men were announced in January, and they were reportedly removed from the military in late August. Zhang was a senior deputy on the Central Military Commission, China’s highest military command body, while Liu was a commission member and chief of its Joint Staff Department.
The expulsions form part of a campaign that has investigated or purged thousands of officials across China’s bureaucracy. The military has increasingly become a focus, following the expulsion of former Defence Minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor from the party in 2024.
The announcement came days before a scheduled meeting between Xi and US President Donald Trump in Washington, according to the source report. The official allegations against the generals have not been independently established, and their expulsion does not by itself establish criminal guilt.
