24 January 2026

Breaking News Bombshell! Official Confirmation: Generals “Zhang Youxia & Liu Zhenli Are Under Investigation for Suspected Serious Violations of Discipline & Law”

Bookshelves

No small thing for the Central Military Commission’s #2 (behind Xi) & #4 to be investigated. And we all know how publicly-announced PRC investigations turn out…

To make sense of this major revelation, here’s some background & context on “corruption” vs. capabilities in China’s Navy & military more broadly, including regarding Taiwan per Xi’s Centennial Military Building Goal of 2027…

“Zhang Youxia, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, a member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, are suspected of serious violations of discipline and law. After deliberation by the CPC Central Committee, it was decided to launch an investigation into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli.”

https://www.news.cn/legal/20260124/33406074879940878fd3102178790920/c.html

张又侠、刘振立涉嫌严重违纪违法被立案审查调查

张又侠、刘振立涉嫌严重违纪违法被立案审查调查 中央政治局委员、中央军委副主席张又侠，中央军委委员、中央军委联合参谋部参谋长刘振立涉嫌严重违纪违法，经党中央研究，决定对张又侠、刘振立立案审查调查。

“Practice has fully proved that the more anti-corruption the People’s Army is, the stronger, the purer and the more effective it is. The more thorough the anti-corruption is, the more confident and confident it will be to achieve the Centennial Military Building Goal (建军一百年奋斗目标).”
http://www.81.cn/szb_223187/szbxq/index.html?paperName=jfjb&paperDate=2026-01-25&paperNumber=01&articleid=971641
The Party Central Committee decided to file a case for review and investigation of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli’s suspected serious violations of discipline and law, which once again showed the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission’s clear attitude of punishing corruption without any restricted areas, full coverage and zero tolerance, and how much investigation and how deeply it involved is involved; it fully demonstrates that our Party has carried out the fight against corruption to the end. Will; solemnly declare the firm position that no matter who is, no matter how high the position is, as long as it engages in corruption, it will never tolerate it. Resolute investigation and punishment of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli is a major achievement in the anti-corruption struggle of the Party and the army. It is an important manifestation of the determination and strength of the Party and the army. It is of great significance to win the overall battle of the army’s anti-corruption struggle. All officers and soldiers should resolutely uphold the decision of the Party Central Committee, consciously maintain a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core in ideology, politics and action, resolutely obey the command of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and President Xi, and ensure that the troops are highly centralized, unified, pure and consolidated.
Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, as senior cadres of the Party and the army, seriously failed the trust of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, seriously trampled on and destroyed the responsibility system of the chairman of the Military Commission, seriously contributed to the political and corruption that affected the Party’s absolute leadership of the army and endangered the Party’s governing foundation, seriously affected the image and prestige of the Military Commission team, and seriously impacted the political and ideological foundation of the unity and struggle of all officers and soldiers has caused great damage to the political construction, political ecology and combat effectiveness of the army, and has a very bad impact on the Party, the country and the army. Investigating and punishing Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli in accordance with discipline and law will definitely further clarify the source from the political, eliminate the evils ideologically, corrupt the muscles in the organizational, consolidate and deepen the achievements of political training, promote the rebirth of the people’s army, and inject strong impetus into the development of the cause of a strong military.
Corruption is a roadblock and a stumbling block in the process of the development of the Party and the country. Anti-corruption is a major struggle that cannot afford and must not lose. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and President Xi, the whole army has adhered to the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and the army, deeply promoted political rectification and training, disciplined anti-corruption, adhered to the thorough investigation, eliminated evil, resolutely investigated and dealt with high-ranking corrupt elements in the army, and strived to eliminate political hidden dangers. The Party’s leadership The people’s army firmly held the roots and souls in tempering and forging, reforming evils and reforming the new. Practice has fully proved that the more anti-corruption the People’s Army is, the stronger, the purer and the more effective it is. The more thorough the anti-corruption is, the more confident and confident it will be to achieve the Centennial Military Building Goal.
Three feet of freezing is not a day’s cold, and three feet of ice is not a day’s work. At present, the centralized investigation and punishment of corruption is not to be more corrupt, but to dig deeper and deeper. The general trend of history is vast, and the process of a strong country and a strong army is unstoppable. No storm or wave test can shake the iron-hearted belief of the People’s Army in the Party, and no difficulties and obstacles can stop the people’s army’s firm pace towards strength. We firmly believe that under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, the People’s Army will eliminate all negative corruption and always become a heroic force that the Party and the people can completely trust.
This year is the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and the year of achieving the 100-year goal of building the army. The task of political training, discipline and anti-corruption of the army is still difficult and heavy. The whole army should take higher standards and more practical measures to promote the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and the army, constantly promote political construction of the army, continue to deepen political rectification and training, comprehensively rectify the ideology, the rectify the employ of people, the organization, the style and the discipline, and vigorously restore and carry forward the glorious tradition and excellent style of our Party and our army. Break the pure thought, pure team, pure ecology. We should unswervingly correct discipline and fight corruption, consolidate and expand the spiritual learning and education achievements of the eight provisions of the Central Committee, promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of work style construction, promote not daring to be corrupt, cannot be corrupt, and do not want to be corrupt, effectively manage all kinds of corruption problems, further put power into the institutional cage, and strive to eradicate the soil of corruption and Conditions. Army Party members and cadres, especially senior cadres, should take the corrupt elements who have been investigated and punished as the opposite teaching materials, adhere to the Party’s original intention and the Party’s mission as their life, take the lead in strengthening ideological transformation, political forging and style shaping, consciously adhere to the ideological defense line, the bottom line of power, the red line of law and discipline, and the family customs, and always be upright and clean. The political sent. We should establish and practice the correct concept of political performance, take practical actions of confidence, pragmatism, responsibility and self-discipline to lead the team, and resolutely put into practice the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and President Xi.
The new journey of strengthening the country and the army urges people to strive forward. Let’s unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Strengthening the Military, deeply implement the military strategic policy for the new era, deeply understand the decisive significance of the “two establishment”, and enhance the “four consciousness “, firmly establish the “four self-confidences” and achieve the “two maintenances”, implement the responsibility system of the chairman of the Military Commission, keep in mind the instructions, take responsibility, work hard, faithfully fulfill the mission and tasks assigned by the Party and the people, accelerate the construction of the people’s army into a world-class army, and comprehensively promote the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization. Provide strong strategic support.
ORIGINAL CHINESE: 坚决打赢军队反腐败斗争攻坚战持久战总体战
党中央决定，对张又侠、刘振立涉嫌严重违纪违法问题立案审查调查，再次表明党中央、中央军委惩治腐败无禁区、全覆盖、零容忍，涉及多少查多少、牵扯多深挖多深的鲜明态度；充分彰显我们党把反腐败斗争进行到底的如磐意志；郑重宣示不管是谁、不管职位多高，只要搞腐败就决不姑息的坚定立场。坚决查处张又侠、刘振立，是党和军队反腐败斗争取得的重大成果，是党和军队有决心、有力量的重要体现，对于打赢军队反腐败斗争攻坚战持久战总体战具有重要意义。全军官兵要坚决拥护党中央决定，自觉在思想上政治上行动上同以习近平同志为核心的党中央保持高度一致，坚决听从党中央、中央军委和习主席指挥，确保部队高度集中统一和纯洁巩固。
张又侠、刘振立身为党和军队的高级干部，却严重辜负党中央、中央军委信任重托，严重践踏破坏军委主席负责制，严重助长影响党对军队绝对领导、危害党的执政根基的政治和腐败问题，严重影响军委班子形象威信，严重冲击全军官兵团结奋进的政治思想基础，对军队政治建军、政治生态和战斗力建设造成极大破坏，对党、国家和军队造成极为恶劣影响。依纪依法查处张又侠、刘振立，必将进一步从政治上正本清源，从思想上肃毒除弊，从组织上去腐生肌，巩固深化政治整训成果，推动人民军队换羽重生，为强军事业发展注入强大动力。
腐败是党和国家事业发展进程中的拦路虎、绊脚石，反腐败是一场输不起也决不能输的重大斗争。党的十八大以来，在党中央、中央军委和习主席坚强领导下，全军部队坚持全面从严治党、全面从严治军，深入推进政治整训、正风肃纪反腐，坚持深挖彻查、除恶务尽，坚决查处军队高层腐败分子，着力消除政治隐患，党领导的人民军队在淬炼锻造、革弊鼎新中牢牢守住了根和魂。实践充分证明，人民军队越反腐就越坚强、越纯洁、越有战斗力，反腐越彻底就越有信心和底气实现建军一百年奋斗目标。
冰冻三尺非一日之寒，除三尺之冰也非一日之功。当前腐败问题集中查处不是越反越腐，而是越挖越深。历史大势浩浩荡荡，强国强军进程不可阻挡。任何风浪考验都撼动不了人民军队铁心向党的如磐信念，任何艰难险阻都阻挡不了人民军队向强图强的坚定步伐。我们坚信，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，人民军队必将扫除一切消极腐败现象，始终成为党和人民完全可以信赖的英雄部队。
今年是“十五五”开局之年，是实现建军一百年奋斗目标的攻坚之年，军队政治整训、正风肃纪反腐任务依然艰巨繁重。全军要以更高标准、更实举措推进全面从严治党、全面从严治军，一刻不停推进政治建军，持续深化政治整训，贯通抓好整顿思想、整顿用人、整顿组织、整顿作风、整顿纪律，大力恢复和弘扬我党我军光荣传统和优良作风，不断纯净思想、纯洁队伍、纯正生态。要坚定不移正风肃纪反腐，巩固拓展深入贯彻中央八项规定精神学习教育成果，推进作风建设常态化长效化，一体推进不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐，有效治理各类腐败问题，进一步把权力关进制度笼子，着力铲除腐败滋生的土壤和条件。军队党员干部特别是高级干部要以被查处的腐败分子为反面教材，坚持以党的初心为本心、以党的使命为生命，带头加强思想改造、政治锻造、作风塑造，自觉守住守好思想防线、用权底线、法纪红线、家风界线，永葆清正廉洁的政治本色。要树立和践行正确政绩观，以笃信、务实、担当、自律的实际行动抓工作干事业带队伍，坚决把党中央、中央军委和习主席重大决策部署落到实处。
强国强军新征程催人奋进。让我们更加紧密地团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，深入贯彻习近平强军思想，深入贯彻新时代军事战略方针，深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，贯彻军委主席负责制，牢记嘱托、担当作为、奋力攻坚，忠实履行党和人民赋予的使命任务，加快把人民军队建成世界一流军队，为以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业提供坚强战略支撑。

***

For background & context regarding China’s military removals under Xi, see: Andrew S. Erickson, “The China Navy Leadership: Corruption & Capabilities Bookshelf,” China Analysis from Original Sources 以第一手资料研究中国, 5 January 2026.

“ALMOST AS MANY AS DRUMMERS IN SPINAL TAP”

  • 19 drummers eliminated in “This is Spinal Tap.
  • Depending on which metric one employs, Xi may well have already exceeded that number.
  • Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, the PLAN has dismissed at least 12 flag officers. Beyond combating outright dysfunction, these removals are intended to prevent potential disloyalty & factionalism, centralize power, & further modernization & warfighting goals.
  • Cashiering has been a feature, not a bug, throughout Xi’s 13-years-&-counting rule—a constant, not a fundamental change. Since assuming power in 2012, he has removed at least 80 senior PLA officials at the Vice Admiral/Lieutenant General (2-star) level & above; 12 PLAN officers at the Rear Admiral (1-star) level or above have been, or are rumored to have been, dismissed.
  • Military removals = microcosm of broader removals across PRC Party-State-Military system.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ORIGINAL COMPILATION.

I’ve also addressed what the Department of War’s latest China Military Power Report reveals about PLA “corruption”-related removals vs. capabilities against Taiwan per Xi’s 2027 Centennial Military Building Goal (建军一百年奋斗目标) here: