The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the Chinese Communist Party convened in Beijing from August 25 to 28. During the meeting, Zhang Yuxia, Vice Chairman of the National Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, a member of the National Central Military Commission, were relieved of their duties. Zhang Yuxia and Liu Zhenli have been removed from the list of National People’s Congress representatives. Analysts believe that the final decision regarding Zhang and Liu will be observed during the Fifth Plenary Session. Xi Jinping’s removal of Zhang Yuxia can be seen as a political coup, indicating a loss of public support.
According to Xinhua, the announcement of the Chinese Communist Party’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting revealed that Zhang Yuxia was removed from the position of Vice Chairman of the CCP National Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli was relieved of his position as a member of the CCP National Central Military Commission. Zhang Yuxia and Liu Zhenli have been removed from the list of National People’s Congress representatives, as confirmed by Dajiyuan.
Zhang Yuxia and his military ally Liu Zhenli, who were announced to be in trouble on January 24, have yet to be removed from their military positions, and their status as National People’s Congress members had not been revoked, reportedly due to internal military resistance.
Political commentator Tang Jingyuan, based in the United States, revealed to Dajiyuan that the issue of Zhang Yuxia was likely discussed during the Beidaihe Conference, and that is why the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress addressed Zhang Yuxia’s status as an NPC representative on August 25.
Since early August, Xi Jinping and seven other top CCP officials have been meeting in secret in Beidaihe. On August 16, Xi Jinping reappeared. Some believe that the current Beidaihe Conference has less influence from the older generation of leaders, focusing more on high-level policy strategies for domestic and foreign matters. However, there are also views maintaining that the CCP’s elders still hold considerable latent influence.
Tang Jingyuan stated that the final decision on Zhang Yuxia will depend on the information disclosed before the upcoming Fifth Plenary Session in October, which is crucial in observing the direction of high-level CCP politics. If Xi Jinping eventually charges Zhang Yuxia with a series of offenses, it would signify a certain deal struck within the top echelons of the CCP, sacrificing Zhang Yuxia to maintain the facade of unity among top CCP officials.
“No matter how the CCP fights, they cannot capsize the ship. In order to preserve the party’s interests, they are more likely to reach some sort of deal internally, ultimately sacrificing Zhang Yuxia and Liu Zhenli,” he said.
Zhang Yuxia’s father, Zhang Zongxun, and Xi Jinping’s father, Xi Zhongxun, were close comrades-in-arms. Zhang Yuxia and Xi Jinping can even be considered as “hair brothers.” Previously, it was widely believed that Zhang Yuxia was part of Xi Jinping’s “Shaanxi gang,” serving beyond his mandated retirement, seen as a form of military oversight for Xi.
After Zhang Yuxia and Military Committee member Liu Zhenli fell from grace, the military had harshly criticized the two for “seriously trampling on and damaging the Chairman responsibility system of the Military Commission,” and “affecting the Party’s absolute leadership over the military, undermining the Party’s ruling foundation.”
Independent commentator Du Zheng wrote an article suggesting that Zhang Yuxia had become a thorn in Xi’s side: after the 19th National Congress of the CCP, Zhang Yuxia had frequent interactions with several elderly CCP figures with political ambitions, raising suspicions of undermining Xi. Zhang Yuxia had conflicts with Xi’s confidants in the military, He Weidong and Miao Huafu, and managed to bring them down. Xi Jinping feared that by the 21st National Congress of the CCP, he might be replaced by someone supported by Zhang Yuxia. Ultimately, Xi Jinping dealt a fatal blow to Zhang Yuxia.
Independent commentator Cai Shunkun had once disclosed a revelation that Zhang Yuxia admitted having attempted to press Xi Jinping for power and bluntly stated, “Rewriting history is just one step away.” Xi is under immense pressure to handle Zhang Yuxia publicly. However, if Xi Jinping fails in the Zhang Yuxia case, it will be difficult for him to secure his re-election at the next 21st Congress and achieve a lifelong authoritarian rule positioning.
However, Chinese affairs expert Hong He expressed to Dajiyuan that Xi Jinping’s clampdown on Zhang Yuxia was due to Zhang’s possible overshadowing of Xi, which was not entirely wrong. When Xi Jinping arrested Zhang Yuxia, there was no legal basis or party discipline basis. This itself was a kind of political coup.
He explained that a coup does not necessarily have to involve overturning the regime. Xi Jinping’s sudden arrest of Zhang Yuxia, the top-ranked Deputy Chairman of the Military Commission, without going through legal procedures, clearly shows that Xi Jinping had indeed been marginalized. This was a coup where Xi Jinping sought to regain his power. In the history of the CCP, apart from the arrest of the Gang of Four, there was also Zhao Ziyang being placed under house arrest. Now Zhang Yuxia’s case is of a similar nature, although he is not the top leader.
On March 7, while attending a meeting with the military delegation of the National People’s Congress, Xi Jinping emphasized that there should be “no two-hearted person towards the party” within the military.
Tang Jingyuan believes that this indicates Xi’s desire to maintain influence over the military, but in reality, it has had no effect. Since the arrests of Zhang Yuxia and Liu Zhenli, no regional commands or military units have openly supported Xi’s actions, and Xi Jinping dares not visit any unit to receive open demonstrations of loyalty. “This phenomenon has never occurred since the establishment of the People’s Republic under Mao Zedong, indicating that Xi Jinping has lost control over the military, and the military does not support him.”
Starting from January 31, 2026, the CCP’s military newspaper has published numerous articles for many days criticizing Zhang and Liu, urging the military to support the so-called decisions of the “Party Central,” recognize the situation, and not to be distracted, which is believed to reveal discontent among soldiers and officers sparked by the handling of Zhang and Liu by the authorities.
Hong He believes that Xi Jinping has detained Zhang Yuxia for over half a year. Only now has the issue of Zhang Yuxia’s status as an NPC representative been addressed, proving Xi Jinping’s struggle in handling Zhang Yuxia’s case. “Because Xi has lost the public’s support and the support within the party in this matter. No matter what formalities he completes, it is useless.”