After the arrest of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and PLA Committee Member Liu Zhenli, the number of active generals who have fallen after the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party has reached 15. In addition, 20 generals are reported as “missing.” Currently, the Chinese military is facing a situation where dozens of key positions are vacant, leading to a state of leadership vacuum.
Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Committee Member Liu Zhenli of the PLA were absent from the opening ceremony of a high-level provincial Communist Party workshop on January 20, 2026, and were officially announced to have fallen from their positions on January 24.
So far, 15 active generals have been ousted since the 20th National Congress.
Among them, General Li Shangfu, a member of the Military Commission, State Councilor, and Minister of National Defense, was investigated on August 31, 2023, and was relieved of his duties as a State Councilor and Minister of National Defense in October of the same year.
On September 26, 2023, General Li Yuchao, the Commander of the Rocket Force, was dismissed from his position as a national People’s Congress delegate.
On October 17, 2025, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced that nine generals including Vice Chairman He Weidong, former Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission Miao Hua, former Executive Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission He Hongjun, former Executive Deputy Director of the Joint Operations Command Center of the Military Commission Wang Xiubin, former Commander of the Eastern Theater Command Lin Xiangyang, former Political Commissar of the Army Qin Shutong, former Political Commissar of the Navy Yuan Huazhi, former Commander of the Rocket Force Wang Houbin, and former Commander of the Armed Police Force Wang Chun’ing were suspected of serious offenses, resulting in their expulsion from the party and the military.
On December 27, 2025, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress announced the dismissal of eight individuals from their positions as national People’s Congress delegates, including five senior military leaders, among whom General Wang Renhua, Secretary of the Military Commission’s Political and Legal Affairs Committee, and General Zhang Hongbing, Political Commissar of the Armed Police, were officially confirmed to have been ousted.
According to a list compiled by the media outlet “Chinese Personnel Observer,” there are a total of 42 active generals since the 20th National Congress. Apart from the 15 generals who have been officially ousted, there are 23 others who have been abnormally dismissed or are missing, failing to attend important events such as the Fourth Plenary Session or the promotion ceremony for the rank of general.
Among them, three individuals who were dismissed before reaching retirement age are:
– Political Commissar of the Southern Theater Command Wang Wenquan,
– Political Commissar of the Western Theater Command Li Fengbiao,
– Former Commander of the Central Theater Command Wang Qiang.
The 20 missing individuals include:
– Political Commissar of the Eastern Theater Command Liu Qingsong,
– Commander of the Southern Theater Command Wu Yanan,
– Commander of the Western Theater Command Wang Haijiang,
– Commander of the Northern Theater Command Huang Ming,
– Political Commissar of the Northern Theater Command Zheng Xuan,
– Political Commissar of the Central Theater Command Xu Deqing,
– Former Commander of the Army Li Qiaoming,
– Political Commissar of the Army Chen Hui,
– Commander of the Navy Hu Zhongming,
– Commander of the Air Force Chang Dingqiu,
– Political Commissar of the Air Force Guo Pujiao,
– Political Commissar of the Rocket Force Xu Xisheng,
– Former Political Commissar of the Rocket Force Xu Zhongbo,
– Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Military Commission Xu Qiling,
– Minister of Equipment Development Department of the Military Commission Xu Xueqiang,
– Former Commander of the Strategic Support Force Ju Qiansheng,
– Political Commissar of the Information Support Force Li Wei,
– President of the National Defense University Xiao Tianliang,
– President of the Military Academy Yang Xuejun,
– Political Commissar of the Military Academy Ling Huanxin.
Currently, there are only four active generals holding their positions: Vice Chairman of the Military Commission Zhang Shenmin, Minister of National Defense Dong Jun, Commander of the Eastern Theater Command Yang Zhibin, and Commander of the Central Theater Command Han Shengyan.
The Central Military Commission (CMC) now has only one general remaining and needs to fill five vacancies (one Vice Chairman and four Committee Members).
There are only two serving Commanders and Political Commissars among the five theater commands, with a need to fill eight vacancies.
The positions of Commanders and Political Commissars in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and the Armed Police Force are all vacant, requiring the filling of ten positions.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, analysts suggest that the upheaval at the top ranks of the Chinese military may impact operational effectiveness. M. Taylor Fravel, Director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, stated that this situation is likely to affect the current state of readiness for significant and complex military operations in the short to medium term within the Chinese military.
BBC reported Lyle Morris, a senior researcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute, pointed out that the current situation with only Xi Jinping and one other leader left in the CMC is unprecedented. The Chinese military is said to be “in turmoil” with a “significant leadership vacuum.”
Zhang Youxia was once seen as a close ally of Xi Jinping. The removal of Zhang Youxia presents long-term challenges for Xi and is detrimental to his image. This has heightened concerns within the CCP, with many feeling vulnerable. Morris believes that the Chinese military is likely to face significant turmoil in the coming years, which will impact Xi Jinping and his leadership team.
The report indicates that the purging of top-level generals has caused anxiety among lower-ranked officers who may fear being the next target. Seeing the fate of senior leaders, they may be hesitant to be promoted into what could become the “deadly zone” of Xi’s anti-corruption campaign.