China announced the expulsion of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, former senior military officers, from the Communist Party of China and their dismissal from the army after investigations revealed serious violations of discipline and law, including bribery, abuse of power for personal gain, and formation of factional groups within the party. The allegation of disloyalty to the party drew particular attention since Zhang once served as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and was considered close to President Xi Jinping.
China announced that two senior military officers, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, were expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from the army after being accused of serious disciplinary and legal violations, including corruption and disloyalty to the party.
China's official news agency Xinhua reported that this decision was approved at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Monday, 21 Sep 2020 GMT+7, following consideration of a report from the Central Military Commission (CMC) on actions taken regarding the cases of the two officers.
Zhang Youxia formerly served as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the highest military command authority in China, and was viewed as close to President Xi Jinping. Liu Zhenli was a member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC.
Investigations into Zhang and Liu began after approval from the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission. The disciplinary inspection commission of the CMC conducted the inquiry, which found that both officers abandoned the party's original mission and ideals, distanced themselves from the party, violated key disciplinary rules, established factional groups and power cliques within the party, and were disloyal and insincere toward the party.
Official documents cited by Xinhua stated that Zhang and Liu seriously violated party discipline and political regulations, formed factions, engaged in corrupt practices, and abused their power. The investigation found that both accepted illegal gifts and money and used their positions to assist others with promotions and various matters in exchange for large sums of money.
They were also accused of neglecting their responsibilities to strictly enforce the party's self-supervision principles and failing to properly train or supervise family members and subordinates under their control.
Xinhua noted that the offenses committed by both officers involved intertwined political and economic crimes, with personal gain from corruption coupled with neglect of duties and abuse of power. The amount of financial loss and related funds were very high, and the nature of the offenses was extremely serious.
According to CPC regulations and relevant laws, Zhang and Liu were expelled from the party, and suspicions of criminal offenses were forwarded to military prosecution authorities for legal proceedings.
Additionally, their status as delegates to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was terminated. The official expulsion from the party requires confirmation by the CPC Central Committee at its next plenary session.
Xinhua stated that the cases of Zhang and Liu reflect the clear stance of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission to persistently and thoroughly combat corruption, emphasizing that anti-corruption efforts have no forbidden zones, cover all levels, and apply a zero-tolerance policy for offenders.
Chinese authorities also declared that there is no place within the military where corrupt individuals can hide and described these prosecutions as a major success in the party’s and military’s anti-corruption campaign.
Reuters reported that investigations into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were announced in January prior to their removal from the State Central Military Commission in late August.
Since Xi Jinping took power in 2012, he has led a widespread crackdown on corruption and disciplinary violations, with millions of officials at various levels investigated and many senior officials in the party, government, and military disciplined and removed from their posts.
The Chinese military has been a key target of the anti-corruption campaign in recent years, with multiple investigations and expulsions of senior officers leading to significant changes in the composition of the Central Military Commission.
Dennis Wilder, a former China analyst at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and senior researcher at Georgetown University, said that although corruption charges against senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers are not new, the allegations of disloyalty to the party—including forming factions and cliques—are unprecedented.
Wilder added that such allegations of disloyalty resemble the political atmosphere during Mao Zedong's era and, if proven, may indicate that Chinese leadership views the situation as a severe challenge to Xi Jinping's power and political position.
Joseph Torigian, a China politics expert from American University, said Zhang Youxia was once promoted through the party and military propaganda channels in the 1980s as a representative of a new generation loyal to the revolution but now faces corruption and materialism allegations that have ended the careers of many of his contemporaries.
Zhang Youxia was a member of the Political Bureau, a senior leadership group of the Communist Party of China, and was one of the few top military officers with combat experience.
The announcement of Zhang and Liu's expulsion came just days before President Xi Jinping was scheduled to visit the United States to meet President Donald Trump and a few weeks ahead of an important party meeting in October focusing on internal party governance and member discipline.
/sourceChina Daily/Reuters