Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli both accused of severe violations of party discipline and suspected of serious duty-related crimes
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenLiu ZhenPublished: 9:10pm, 21 Sep 2026The Communist Party accused former military leaders Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli of factionalism and disloyalty, expelling them from the party and the armed forces following a Politburo meeting on Monday, state media reported.Zhang was once a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the highest-ranking uniformed member of the Chinese military, second only to Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The CMC is China’s top military decision-making body.Zhang was also a member of the Communist Party’s 24-member Politburo.
Liu was a CMC member as well and formerly served as chief of its Joint Staff Department.
