China Signals Further Military Purge After Abrupt Fall of Senior Generals, Analysts Say

State media’s ideological rhetoric and analysts’ warnings suggest Xi Jinping may be escalating the regime’s military shake-up.

Military delegates arrive for the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2025. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

The removal of two of China’s most senior military leaders raises fresh questions about Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s control over the armed forces, experts say, as state media rhetoric suggests the military purge may not be over.

On Jan. 24, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced an investigation into Zhang Youxia, a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Politburo and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and Liu Zhenli, a member of the CMC who also serves as chief of the Joint Staff Department of the commission.