Former top PLA generals expelled from Communist Party for factionalism and disloyalty

The Communist Party of China has expelled two former high-ranking military officials, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from both the party and the armed forces due to their alleged factionalism and disloyalty. This decision was made following a meeting of the Politburo on Monday, according to state media reports.

Zhang Youxia, once a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), was the second-highest-ranking uniformed member of the Chinese military, with only President Xi Jinping above him. Liu Zhenli, also a member of the CMC, had previously served as the chief of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC.

Both generals were placed under investigation on January 24 and accused of severe violations of party discipline, including forming cliques and factions, demonstrating disloyalty and dishonesty to the party. They were also found guilty of taking advantage of their positions to seek promotional benefits for others in exchange for large sums of money, accepting illegal gifts and money, failing to fulfill their political responsibilities, and improperly educating and restraining their relatives and close staff.

As a result of these offenses, Zhang and Liu have been expelled from the Communist Party and the PLA, with their qualifications as delegates to the 20th party congress terminated. Their cases have been transferred to military procuratorial bodies for legal review and prosecution. The statement from the Central Committee and Central Military Commission reaffirmed their commitment to fighting corruption in the military, stating that there is no place for corrupt elements within the armed forces.

This expulsion is part of the ongoing massive anti-corruption campaign that has led to the downfall of numerous top military officials in recent years. Other CMC members, including He Weidong, Li Shangfu, and Miao Hua, have also been removed, leaving only Xi and Zhang Shengmin of the seven-member commission elected in 2022.