China's Top General Zhang Youxia Under Investigation Amid Xi's PLA Purge

• General Zhang Youxia, a trusted aide to President Xi Jinping and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), is under investigation for "grave violations of discipline and the law."
• Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the CMC’s Joint Staff Department, is also being investigated alongside Zhang Youxia.
• This marks a significant escalation in Xi's ongoing purge of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) elite, with all six uniformed commanders appointed to the CMC in 2022 now removed.
• Analysts view Zhang Youxia's removal as one of the most consequential military purges in decades, aimed at consolidating Xi's control over the PLA.
• The investigations leave the CMC with only President Xi and General Zhang Shengmin, who has overseen previous military purges.

Why It Matters: China's top general Zhang Youxia is under investigation, signaling Xi Jinping's intensified PLA purge.