Xi Jinping dismisses his closest military adviser after conspiracy rumors
Two more senior generals have been dismissed from their posts as part of Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign in the Chinese military, including Zhang Yuxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Xi Jinping has dismissed his closest military adviser following conspiracy rumors.
On August 28, China removed Generals Zhang Yuxia and Liu Zhengli from their posts on the Central Military Commission (CMC), Reuters reported.
Zhang, who served as vice chairman of the CMC and was considered the second-highest ranking military official after Chinese President Xi Jinping and his closest military ally, was investigated in January for alleged serious violations of discipline and the law.
In recent years, the Chinese leader has launched an anti-corruption campaign in the military. As part of this campaign, former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shanfu were removed from their posts and put under investigation.
The personnel changes came after rumors of an attempted military coup in China. According to The Spectator, on January 18, Zhang allegedly sent a company of soldiers to the Yinxi Hotel in western Beijing to arrest Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader ambushed Zhang's soldiers with officers from the Central Security Bureau. The battle reportedly left nine guards and dozens of soldiers dead.
Zhang fought in the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War. His father, General Zhang Zhongxun, was a comrade-in-arms of the Chinese president's father, Xi Jinping. As RBC reports, Zhang and Xi are descendants of high-ranking party officials, or "princes." Zhang was appointed head of the People's Liberation Army's General Administration of Armaments in 2012, which is responsible for the procurement and development of weapons. In 2017, he became the deputy chairman of the National Security Council and was re-elected to this position in 2022, despite being due to retire.