Kenneth Glad
A sweeping leadership overhaul is reshaping China’s top military ranks, with senior officers removed and investigations widening. The developments highlight intensifying scrutiny within the armed forces at a time of mounting regional and political pressure.
China’s top military body has been reshaped with unusual speed, as senior commanders are removed and investigated in a campaign that shows little sign of slowing.
Public explanations have been sparse. The impact has been unmistakable.
The New York Times reported on Feb. 16 that five of the six uniformed members of the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission have been removed or sidelined over roughly three years. The commission, chaired by President Xi Jinping, directs the People’s Liberation Army and sits at the apex of military decision-making.
Among the most prominent figures caught in the shake-up is Gen. Zhang Youxia, a vice chairman of the commission. Channel News Asia said in early 2026 that he was under investigation for suspected “serious violations of discipline,” a phrase commonly associated with corruption inquiries.
Echoes and signals
In a New Year address, Xi urged officials to draw lessons from Yan’an, the revolutionary base where Mao Zedong consolidated authority through ideological campaigns known as “rectification.”
Mao used such drives to eliminate rivals and enforce political discipline.
A few weeks later, Xi told military units by video link that the past year had been “very unusual and very extraordinary,” adding that the armed forces remained “completely reliable and trustworthy.”
The reference to Yan’an was not accidental. It tied current events to party history.
Oversight and modernization
A 2024 U.S. Department of Defense report to Congress described the Central Military Commission as the nerve center of China’s military modernization, overseeing force restructuring, weapons development and joint command reforms.
The report said Xi had placed the commission at the core of efforts to transform the PLA into a “world-class military” by mid-century.
Analysts say recurring investigations can disrupt procurement chains and promotions, but they also reinforce political supervision. “The CMC is where political control and operational command intersect,” said James Char, a China military scholar at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
Anti-corruption probes in the defense sector have intensified since 2023, ensnaring senior officers and executives in state-owned arms firms.
How this compares
Leadership reshuffles are not new in China. Under Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, transitions at the commission typically followed party congress cycles, with retirements announced in orderly fashion.
The scale and tempo now are different. Investigations have reached serving vice chairmen and senior commanders mid-term. That is rare.
The removals come as Beijing faces heightened tension around Taiwan and expanding rivalry with the United States. A thinner, more tightly controlled high command may strengthen Xi’s grip. It could also leave fewer buffers if internal strains emerge.
For now, the direction is clear. The uncertainty lies in how far it will go.
Sources: The New York Times, Channel News Asia, U.S. Department of Defense
