Washington: China has placed one of its most powerful military leaders under investigation, triggering intense scrutiny inside and outside the country as allegations range from corruption to the leaking of sensitive nuclear weapons data to the United States, media reports said.
The investigation targets Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission and the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the People’s Liberation Army. China’s Ministry of National Defence said the probe was launched for “serious violations of discipline and law,” without providing further details.
The allegations were reported exclusively by The Wall Street Journal,” citing people familiar with a closed-door, high-level internal briefing held for senior Chinese military officers. According to the report, Zhang is accused of leaking “core technical data” related to China’s nuclear weapons program to the United States and of accepting large bribes in exchange for promotions.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the internal briefing took place shortly before the defense ministry publicly announced the investigation. The briefing reportedly outlined multiple accusations, including forming political cliques, abusing authority within the Central Military Commission, and overseeing corrupt practices in military procurement, the news report claimed.
Chinese authorities have not publicly confirmed any allegation involving nuclear secrets. In a statement to the Journal, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said the decision to investigate Zhang reflected the Communist Party’s “full-coverage, zero-tolerance approach to combating corruption.”
Zhang, 75, has long been seen as a faithful ally of President Xi Jinping and a key figure in the PLA’s senior command. His sudden downfall marks one of the most dramatic moves against a top general in recent decades, the report said.
Alongside the Journal report, dramatic claims circulated on social media alluding to an attempted military coup against Xi. Posts and other media reports alleged that Zhang and another senior general had been detained, that clashes occurred involving presidential security forces, and that thousands of military personnel were placed under control.
These claims have not been confirmed by Chinese authorities or Western intelligence agencies. Skepticism about the most explosive allegations has been expressed by Neil Thomas, a Fellow on Chinese Politics at the Center for China Analysis, Asia Society Policy Institute.
Thomas questioned how Zhang could have accessed and transferred nuclear weapons secrets, given the tight controls around China’s nuclear establishment and the heavy monitoring of senior PLA generals.
Thomas suggested that corruption-related charges, including accepting bribes linked to promotions, appeared more consistent with past PLA cases. He also noted that internal briefings in China do not always reflect the full or verified truth and may be determined by political considerations.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the investigation into Zhang is linked to a larger crackdown on corruption within China’s military procurement system. It also ties into the earlier downfall of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who was removed from office and expelled from the Communist Party. Officers promoted under Zhang are also reportedly under scrutiny, and authorities have seized mobile devices from figures connected to the case.
The probe occurs amid Xi Jinping’s sweeping campaign to reshape the armed forces. Since 2023, more than 50 senior military officers and defence industry executives have reportedly been removed or placed under investigation, showing the scale of the effort and its impact on military command structures.
For India, this is a major development, particularly given China’s growing military footprint and assertiveness in the region. New Delhi has a direct security interest in stability within the PLA, as China remains India’s principal strategic challenge along the Line of Actual Control and across the wider Indo-Pacific. Any disruption in China’s military leadership, readiness, or decision-making has consequences for regional security, including in South Asia and the Indian Ocean, where Beijing has gradually enlarged its presence.
(IANS)
