Insane stuff happening over in China right now https://t.co/iL0uCq5WMU
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@Noahpinion) January 25, 2026
China’s top general ousted, placed under investigation in latest military purge
Gen. Zhang Youxia allegedly committed severe violations of party discipline and state laws
China’s top general has been removed and placed under investigation for misconduct in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s latest purge of leading military commanders.
Gen. Zhang Youxia is being investigated for allegedly committing severe violations of party discipline and state laws, China’s Defense Ministry announced Sunday. The general served as vice-chairman on China’s Central Military Commission and was second only to Xi in military authority.
Another member of the commission, Liu Zhenli, has also been placed under investigation by China’s ruling Communist Party. Liu is the chief of staff of the commission’s Joint Staff Department.
Their removal is the latest military purge since October, when the Communist Party ousted one of the commission’s previous vice chairs, He Weidong. He was replaced by Zhang Shengmin, a Xi loyalist who survived the latest round of removals.
Xi Jinping just arrested his childhood best friend for selling nuclear secrets to America.
Zhang Youxia. Second most powerful man in China’s military. Their fathers fought together in Mao’s revolution.
Untouchable. Until Saturday.
The numbers:
6 generals appointed to the… pic.twitter.com/ELb4zUqcFy
— Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡ (@shanaka86) January 26, 2026