The article reports that following the investigation of Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, and Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, there has been a prolonged vacancy in the senior leadership of the Military Commission and the Joint Operations Command System. Earlier this month, Xi Jinping, the top leader of the Communist Party of China, elevated Zhang Shuguang, in charge of military discipline supervision, to the rank of a general. Observers believe that despite facing a military power vacuum, Xi Jinping has chosen to control the military through disciplinary and political scrutiny.
On July 3rd, Xi Jinping promoted Zhang Shuguang and Wang Gang to the rank of general in Beijing. Zhang Shuguang was serving as the Secretary of the Central Military Commission’s Discipline Inspection Commission and the Director of the Central Military Commission’s Supervisory Committee, while Wang Gang was the Commander of the Air Force. The promotion ceremony was presided over by the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, Zhang Shangmin.
The promotions and personnel arrangements mentioned above have sparked discontent within the military. Mr. Bi, an informed source, revealed that since the investigation of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, there has been no public announcement of successors to the positions of Vice Chairman of the Military Commission and Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department by the Communist Party, resulting in significant vacancies in the decision-making body of the Military Commission and the Joint Operations Command System.
Mr. Bi stated, “The Chairman of the Military Commission promoted the leader of the military discipline commission first, instead of filling the command positions of the Military Commission, which has caused dissatisfaction among many. This has added another variable to the announcement of Zhang Youxia’s case.”
A source close to the Chinese military, Mr. Tang Jiezhong (pseudonym), told reporters that the investigations into the cases of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli by the Central Discipline Inspection Commission and the military disciplinary departments were completed two months ago. However, the investigation within the military has caused discontent among the officers. The military command system has been in confusion for over half a year, with some documents being issued without signatures.
Furthermore, Mr. Tang Jiezhong disclosed, “The leadership in various military regions believed that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were the trusted leaders of the Military Commission, as they had led troops and especially Zhang Youxia had combat experience, cared for the well-being of the troops, had a people-friendly style, and possessed personal charm. For over half a year, the military command system has been in disarray, with documents being issued without signatures, leading to a morale decline among military personnel.”
Mr. Tang Jiezhong revealed that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli had long held positions within operational units and had influence within the operational regions and military branches. Following their investigation, the senior officials in various military regions lacked trust in the new command arrangements of the Military Commission, with some officers unwilling to sign important documents, fearing the consequences.
He stated, “Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli had prestige within the military. They knew how the troops operated and understood what the officers and soldiers below wanted. Currently, the top leadership of the Military Commission lacks individuals who can truly earn the trust of those below, no one wants to sign documents that come down because everyone is afraid to take responsibility. It’s not that the military has no one, but rather there is no one who dares to make decisions.”
The original Central Military Commission had seven members after the 20th Party Congress. However, with the removal of several senior officials, including He Weidong, Zhang Youxia, and Liu Zhenli, there are currently only Xi Jinping and Zhang Shangmin serving openly in their positions. Zhang Shangmin was initially a member of the Central Military Commission and was appointed as the Vice Chairman in October 2025, responsible for military discipline work. Zhang Shuguang’s promotion to the rank of general this time shows that Xi Jinping is further relying on the disciplinary system to control the military.
Retired military officer Mr. Ji told reporters that in the past, during significant incidents within the military, the Central Military Commission would usually brief retired officers to secure the support of retired military officials. However, after Zhang Youxia was investigated, the military did not inform retired officers about the details of the case, nor did they seek their opinions on the promotion of key military personnel within the military.
He said, “In the past, during major incidents in the military, the Military Commission would reach out to retired officers to brief them on the situation and garner their support. However, on the matter of Zhang Youxia, no one revealed any information to us, and we could not extract any details. The promotion of key military officials in the military no longer seeks the opinions of retired officers, which deviates from the conventions of the past decades. It’s said that the case has been closed, but the timing of its public disclosure remains uncertain.”
Mr. Ji stated that Zhang Youxia had a deep background within the military, connected with numerous leaders in operational regions, military branches, and equipment systems. If the Communist Party handles senior military cases as it had in the past, they typically inform retired military officials first to reduce resistance within the military. However, in this instance, the Military Commission did not engage in such communication, indicating that Xi Jinping was no longer relying on the traditional military coordination mechanisms.
On January 24th, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced that Zhang Youxia, a member of the Central Political Bureau, and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, as well as Liu Zhenli, a member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department, were suspected of “serious disciplinary violations” and were placed under investigation.
Subsequently, the Chinese military newspaper published an editorial demanding that the entire army “resolutely obey” the Communist Party Central Military Commission and Xi Jinping’s command, emphasizing that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli had “seriously trampled and damaged the Chairman’s responsibility system of the Military Commission.” To date, the Communist Party has not announced whether the two individuals have been expelled from the party, the military, or transferred to judicial authorities, nor have they declared the successors to their respective military positions.
After multiple rounds of purges of senior military officials within the Communist Party, mutual distrust among military leaders has emerged, leading to a situation where no one is willing to take on the responsibility of major decisions. The phenomenon of “documents without signatures” in the military indicates a decision-making gap within the Military Commission. Retired officers believe that by bypassing retired officers and the original military coordination channels, Xi Jinping is increasingly relying on the disciplinary system to control the military, further exacerbating the unease among active military leaders.
The appointment of Zhang Shuguang to lead the Military Commission’s disciplinary committee shows that Xi Jinping still prioritizes cleansing and loyalty scrutiny over the reconstruction of the military. The vacancies in command left by Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli remain unfilled to this day, and Xi Jinping has yet to establish a command team that can replace them.