Two high-ranking generals in China have been expelled from the party and the army

Two high-ranking generals dismissed from party and army in China

In China, two high-ranking military generals — Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli — have been dismissed from the Communist Party and military service.

Zhang served as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission under the country's president, Xi Jinping. He was considered the second-in-command in the supreme military command body. Liu was a member of the Central Military Commission and head of its Joint Staff Department.

An investigation into Zhang and Liu was launched in January, and in late August, they were removed from the Central Military Commission. Since coming to power in 2012, Xi Jinping has been conducting one of the largest anti-corruption and disciplinary campaigns.

In recent years, the military has become one of the main targets of this campaign. As a result of a series of investigations and removals, only two active members remain in the former seven-member Central Military Commission, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese leadership accused the two generals of disloyalty to the party, abandoning party principles, failing to ensure strict discipline, and failing to control staff and family members.

The state news agency Xinhua, citing official documents, reported that Zhang and Liu seriously violated political discipline and political rules, formed cliques and factions, and were disloyal to the party.

It was noted that they crossed red lines, accumulated personal wealth through corruption, and abused their power.

The statement says that extremely large sums of money are involved, and their actions are of a serious nature with highly negative consequences.

Dennis Wilder, a former CIA analyst on China and a senior fellow at Georgetown University, noted that while corruption charges against high-ranking military officers are common, "charges of disloyalty are unprecedented, and they include forming cliques and factions."

Wilder said the accusations of disloyalty are "reminiscent of the Mao era." If these allegations are confirmed, it could mean that Xi Jinping viewed the situation as a serious threat to his power and political standing.