China expels two generals from party and military — The Japan Times
China has expelled Zhang Youxia, who was vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and commission member Liu Zhenli from the Communist Party and military structures. Chinese authorities accused them of disloyalty to the party, corruption and other serious disciplinary violations, The Japan Times reports.
Accusations against the military officials
Zhang Youxia was China’s second-highest-ranking military official after Central Military Commission chairman and President Xi Jinping. He had previously been regarded as Xi’s closest ally in the military leadership. Liu Zhenli was a member of the Central Military Commission and headed its Joint Staff Department.
Investigations into both military officials were announced in January, and at the end of August they were removed from the state Central Military Commission. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, official documents accuse Zhang and Liu of seriously violating political discipline and rules, forming groups and factions, and being dishonest and disloyal to the party.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
China’s leadership also said that both officials had abandoned party principles, failed to ensure strict discipline, and did not supervise personnel and members of their families. The documents cited by Xinhua state that their political and economic violations were interconnected, while corrupt enrichment was combined with negligence in office and abuse of power.
Cases to be transferred to military prosecutors
The expulsions of Zhang and Liu were formally approved at a Politburo meeting chaired by Xi Jinping, state media reported. Their alleged criminal cases are to be transferred to military prosecutors for review and further prosecution in accordance with the law.
Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, China has been conducting a large-scale campaign against corruption and disciplinary violations. In recent years, the military leadership has become one of its main targets. Following a series of investigations and expulsions, only two active representatives remain on the Central Military Commission, which previously consisted of seven members, including Xi Jinping as its chairman.
