Today, Friday, the Chinese authorities announced the dismissal of General Zhang Yuxia from his position as Vice Chairman of the State Central Military Commission, in a move targeting one of the highest-ranking military leaders in China, about 7 months after it was announced that he was being investigated on suspicion of committing “serious violations of discipline and the law.”
According to the official “Xinhua” agency, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress decided, during a meeting held in Beijing on August 28, to relieve Zhang Yuxia from the position of Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China.
Zhang held a very sensitive position in the Chinese military leadership hierarchy, as he was the first vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, making him the second-ranking man in this body after Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the highest-ranking military commander among the Chinese generals.
His dismissal came after the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced last January that Zhang, along with senior military official Liu Zhenli, were being investigated on suspicion of “serious violations of discipline and law,” a phrase commonly used by the Chinese authorities in files of corruption and discipline within state and party institutions.
The decisions were not limited to Zhang, as the authorities also announced the exemption of Liu Zhenli from membership of the state Central Military Commission. Liu was the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Department of the committee, which plays a key role in planning and coordinating military operations.
The Chinese authorities also announced the termination of Zhang and Liu’s membership in the National People’s Congress, following decisions issued by the relevant military bodies to withdraw their representative status.
The step comes in the context of a broad campaign to combat corruption within the Chinese military establishment, which in recent years has targeted a number of senior officers and officials in the armament and missile sectors and the military leadership.
Zhang’s inclusion in the investigations had sparked widespread interest because of his advanced position and long relationship with the party leadership, in addition to his being one of the most prominent officers who had actual combat experience in the Chinese army.
In a remarkable legal detail, Reuters explained that the August 28 decision related to the positions of Zhang and Liu in the state Central Military Commission, while their official dismissal from the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party, which is a parallel body with almost the same composition, had not been announced until the moment of publication of the decision.
