China investigates top general for ‘grave violations’

(MENAFN) China’s defence ministry has announced an investigation into the country’s highest-ranking general over “grave violations of discipline and the law.”

No further details were provided regarding the allegations against General Zhang Youxia, who has long been regarded as one of President Xi Jinping’s closest military allies. In China, such announcements are often a euphemism for corruption.

The ministry also stated that another senior officer, General Liu Zhenli, is under investigation.

The move follows the expulsion of nine top generals in October, marking one of the largest public crackdowns on the military in decades.

Zhang, 75, serves as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Communist Party body led by Xi that oversees the armed forces. He is also a member of the party’s 24-person Politburo, its top decision-making group.

Zhang’s father was among the founding generals of the Chinese Communist Party, and Zhang himself joined the army in 1968, making him one of the few senior leaders with actual combat experience. He had been retained in office beyond the usual retirement age for China’s military, reflecting Xi’s confidence in him until recently.

The announcement comes shortly after rumours circulated that Zhang and Liu might be under investigation, following their absence from a high-level party event in December.

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