China says generals' expulsion removed hidden political danger in PLA

China's Communist Party expelled top PLA generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli over alleged serious violations. The military says the move removes a political threat and reinforces Xi Jinping's control.Stock photo used for illustrationChina's military newspaper has said the expulsion of two of the country's top generals has "eliminated a major hidden political danger" for the ruling Communist Party and the armed forces. In a front-page editorial on Wednesday, the PLA Daily described the action against Gen Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli as a major victory in the military's long-running anti-corruption campaign.The Communist Party of China on Monday expelled the two officers from both the party and the People's Liberation Army for what it called serious violations of discipline and law. The editorial suggested that the case was linked to the party's insistence on full control over the military.Referring to Zhang and Liu, the PLA Daily said, "The serious investigation and punishment of the two eliminated a major hidden political danger for the party and the military and constitutes a major victory in the military's tough, protracted and overall battle against corruption." It added that their removal would promote the "purity and honour" of the military and help it carry out its missions and tasks.According to the editorial, quoted by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, the PLA has "thoroughly uncovered the lingering poisonous influences and accumulated ills, undergone tempering and forging from the inside out", which has "continuously improved the morale and spirit of the troops". It also said the "international situation, national conditions and party and military conditions are all undergoing complex and profound changes" and therefore "we must unify our thinking and actions with the decisions and arrangements of the party Central Committee and the CMC". The Central Military Commission, or CMC, is the overall high command of the PLA and is headed by President Xi Jinping. Zhang, 75, served as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CMC. Liu, 61, served as a CMC member and chief of staff of the CMC's joint staff department. Zhang was also part of the 24-member Politburo, the party's top decision-making body.Both men are decorated war heroes and the only CMC members with combat experience. They took part in PLA campaigns against Vietnam in the late 1970s. The removal of Zhang, in particular, has sent shockwaves through China's military establishment, as he was the highest-ranking military official to be sacked. Since taking charge in 2012, Xi has repeatedly said the military must remain under Communist Party leadership and strictly follow its policies. Under his intensified anti-corruption drive, dozens of senior PLA officers have been removed or punished, including two former defence ministers. Critics say the campaign also helped consolidate Xi's hold on power. The latest editorial presents the expulsions of Zhang and Liu as part of that wider effort to tighten discipline and party control over the armed forces.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 23, 2026 18:06 IST