China's Top General Zhang Youxia Under Investigation in Xi's Military Purge

• China's highest-ranking general, Zhang Youxia, is under investigation for "grave violations of discipline and the law."
• Zhang Youxia, 75, serves as vice-chairman of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission (CMC), overseeing China's armed forces.
• Liu Zhenli, 61, chief of staff of the CMC's Joint Staff Department, is also being investigated.
• The investigations leave the CMC with only two members: President Xi Jinping and General Zhang Shengmin.
• This marks a significant escalation in Xi's yearslong purge of the People's Liberation Army elite to consolidate control.

Why It Matters: President Xi Jinping is consolidating power by purging top military leaders, including General Zhang Youxia.