China probes top generals in biggest military purge since Mao

China's recent purge of its top military leadership is the most significant since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, sharply reducing the ranks of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) senior command and underscoring President Xi Jinping's difficulties in reshaping the armed forces.

The latest and most consequential development is an investigation into General Zhang Youxia, the PLA's most senior uniformed officer and a long-time associate of Xi, along with General Liu Zhenli, head of the PLA's joint staff department, says The Economist.

Both generals are under investigation for "suspected serious discipline and law violations," according to official notices. Their cases follow the formal dismissal of four other uniformed officers from the Central Military Commission (CMC), the body that oversees China's roughly 2-million-strong military.

As a result, the CMC is now left with only two active members: Xi himself, who serves as chairman, and General Zhang Shengmin, the commission's disciplinary chief.

Analysts say the sweeping removals reflect Xi's ongoing frustration with efforts to turn the PLA into a modern, combat-ready force. Persistent corruption and a failure to meet performance expectations appear to have weighed heavily, particularly as the leadership approaches a stated deadline next year for the military to be capable of taking Taiwan.

Concerns may also have grown over the expanding influence of Zhang Youxia, who led a powerful faction of so-called "princelings" and accumulated authority seen as unprecedented for a serving officer.

Western assessments suggest the purge has already affected military readiness. A Pentagon report cited uncertainty over organisational priorities and "capability shortfalls," including issues such as malfunctioning lids on missile silos. While the shake-up could disrupt operations in the short term, analysts say it may ultimately improve effectiveness if corruption is successfully addressed.

Zhang Youxia had previously been viewed as largely immune from political downfall, given his combat experience and close personal ties to Xi. Their fathers fought together during China's civil war, connections that had long been considered a source of protection.

His removal sends a broader signal to China's political and military elite that revolutionary lineage and personal loyalty to Xi do not guarantee immunity.

The purge leaves Xi facing a difficult task: identifying successors who are both politically reliable and capable of advancing the PLA's modernisation drive, at a time when many senior officers are either relatively inexperienced or linked to disgraced predecessors.