China expels 2 top generals from party and military, alleging disloyalty, corruption

Beijing — China has expelled two high-ranking military officers, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from both the Communist Party and the armed forces, accusing them of serious breaches of discipline and the law, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Zhang Youxia, who served as the second-in-command to President Xi Jinping as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), was a key figure within the Chinese military hierarchy. Liu Zhenli, also a CMC member and chief of staff of the Joint Staff Department, was another prominent officer implicated in the ongoing corruption crackdown initiated by Xi in 2012.

The military has been a primary focus of Xi's anti-corruption campaign. Investigations into Zhang and Liu began in January, and they were subsequently removed from the Central Military Commission in late August. Chinese authorities accused the pair of disloyalty, corruption, dereliction of duty, and other grave disciplinary offenses. Xinhua cited official documents stating that Zhang and Liu had violated political discipline, formed cliques and factions, and displayed a lack of loyalty and honesty towards the party.