China has expelled two high-ranking military officers, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from the Communist Party and the military for serious violations of discipline and law. The expulsions follow probes announced in January and removals from the Central Military Commission in August, with accusations including disloyalty, corruption, and abuse of office. The move comes ahead of President Xi Jinping's trip to the US and a key party conclave.
The expulsion of high-ranking military officials signals a continued consolidation of power by President Xi Jinping and underscores the ongoing anti-corruption campaign within the People's Liberation Army. This internal political maneuvering occurs as China prepares for significant diplomatic engagements, including President Xi's meeting with US President Donald Trump.
BEIJING, Sept 21 (Reuters) - China has expelled two top military officers, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from the Communist Party and the military over "serious violations of discipline and law," the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
Zhang Youxia, who served as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) under President Xi Jinping, and Liu Zhenli, a CMC member and chief of staff of its Joint Staff Department, were removed from their posts in late August following probes announced in January. The leadership accused them of disloyalty, corruption, dereliction of duty, and forming cliques and factions.
Xinhua cited official documents stating the pair "crossed red lines and basic limits," and that their "political and economic wrongdoing were intertwined, and corrupt self-enrichment coexisted with dereliction of duty and abuse of office." The sums involved were described as "exceptionally large," with the conduct deemed "extremely serious" and its impact "extremely egregious."
Zhang Youxia was also a member of the elite Politburo and one of the few leading officers with combat experience. The announcement comes just days before President Xi Jinping is scheduled to travel to the US for talks with President Donald Trump, and weeks before a key October party conclave focused on internal party governance and discipline.
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