China Investigates Top Two Central Military Commission Officials, Including Second-in-Command Zhang Yusha, for Disciplinary Violations

Ministry of National Defense: "Central Military Commission’s Jang Yusha and Liu Zhenli Suspected of Serious Disciplinary and Legal Violations"

On January 24, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that Jang Yusha, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, and Liu Zhenli, Member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of the Joint Staff Department, are under investigation for disciplinary violations.

Jang Yusha, Vice Chairman (left) and Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff Photo by Yonhap News

The Ministry made this announcement through a notice on its official website, stating, “Following research and decisions by the Party Central Committee, the two individuals have been placed under investigation and review.” However, it did not disclose specific details such as the nature of the violations or the scope of the investigation.

Given that Chinese authorities used the term “serious disciplinary violations,” it is widely believed that the investigation is likely related to allegations of corruption.

Vice Chairman Jang Yusha is both a member of the 24-person Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, making him the second-highest ranking figure in the Chinese military after President Xi Jinping. Among uniformed officers, he holds the highest position. Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli is also one of the members of the Central Military Commission, which oversees the military.

With two key military leaders under simultaneous investigation, only two members now remain in the seven-member Central Military Commission: President Xi and General Zhang Shengmin, who was appointed Vice Chairman at the 4th Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee in October last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.