The investigation into Chinese Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia has now surpassed three months, and the ongoing handling of the case continues to draw attention. Multiple sources close to the Chinese Communist Party system have disclosed that the internal investigation within the Party has entered its final stages, with the expectation that it will be completed within the next two months. If no new developments arise, it is anticipated that the results of the handling will be made public in July.
According to sources familiar with the Chinese Communist Party system, “After over three months of investigation by the military, the Zhang Youxia case is nearing completion, with internal investigations focusing on the details. If there are no new changes, the case is expected to be concluded within the next two months. In July, the results of the handling, including the expulsion of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the Party and military, are expected to be announced.”
Regarding the handling of the case, the anonymous source pointed out that according to established procedures, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will announce the expulsion of the two individuals from the Party and military, followed by transferring the case to the military procuratorate for prosecution. However, even as the case progresses to prosecution, the trial will remain under the jurisdiction of the military court, with limited disclosure of details to the public.
The source stated, “Cases of this nature are typically not publicly tried. Previous vice chairmen of the military commission during the Hu Jintao era were tried behind closed doors, and what the public sees is the final verdict; specifics of the military trial are not made public.”
Another source close to the military informed reporters that the legal charges against Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli have been determined, focusing primarily on offenses such as receiving bribes, engaging in power trading in cadre appointments, and seeking benefits for family members and certain individuals.
He explained, “The direction of the charges has been set, and now the focus is on how to present it to the public. The amount is not the main point; the key is how to control the influence and prevent external interpretations as a power struggle. In Chinese law, there is no such thing as an ‘anti-party crime,’ so in practice, the handling will be based on charges like bribery, requiring a legal basis.”
As of April 30, the name of Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, still appears on some official Chinese Communist Party web pages. Concurrently, information related to the previously reported Politburo member Ma Xingrui continues to be present on certain official pages. Analysts believe that despite Zhang Youxia being reported for investigation in January, the information on the web pages has not been synchronously updated, indicating that his status is still undergoing adjustments.
Political analyst Liu Zhi (pseudonym) stated that in the existing handling model of the Chinese Communist Party, for cases involving members of the Politburo, the exact amount of money involved is typically not fully disclosed. Even if it is made public, adjustments will likely be made to lessen societal attention.
He said, “Typically, a relatively fixed range is given, such as around tens of millions of Chinese yuan. This figure can address the issue without sparking excessive speculation. The actual details are known internally, but external presentation will be more restrained, hence the need to determine an ‘appropriate amount.'”
On April 28, a conference notice released by the official Chinese media Xinhua News Agency indicated that the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress’ Credentials Committee, Yang Xiaochao, reported on “individual representatives.” However, the notice did not further specify the individuals involved.
In response, Liu Zhi told reporters, “This indicates that the situations behind the cases of Zhang and Liu are even more complex than imagined by the public, mainly because there are still internal disagreements among top officials.”
Multiple sources revealed that despite the desire of top officials to swiftly resolve the military cases, there are still discrepancies at various levels regarding the pace of handling. These differences are not only reflected in the progress of the cases but also indicate challenges in coordinating power operations. As the internal investigation by the Chinese Communist Party nears its conclusion, the cases are bound to enter a period of intensive information release, making the pace of handling and the mode of information disclosure themselves a crucial window for observing the current changes in the power structure within the Chinese military.