Unusual Moves in China’s Military: Growing Danger Posed by ‘Xi’s Absolute Control’

Editorial

14:58 JST, January 30, 2026

China has seen a spate of high-ranking military officials fall from grace. What on earth is happening? Instability at the core of one of the world’s leading military powers inevitably raises concerns, as it impacts security in East Asia.

China’s Defense Ministry has announced that it would investigate Zhang Youxia, a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the military’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, and Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the Joint Staff Department and also a CMC member, on suspicion of serious violations of discipline and the law.

The CMC is the supreme leadership body for the Chinese military, armed police and other organizations. It has been composed of seven members including its chairperson, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. However, three members have been disciplined since 2024 over suspicions including of bribery. Including the two this time, a total of five members have now been cast out.

This leaves the CMC effectively with only two members — Xi and another vice chairman, who is the military’s anti-corruption chief. This is an abnormal situation.

Regarding the two who fell from power this time, speculation is rife about their possible involvement in corruption and attempts to form a political faction, but authorities have yet to disclose details.

Under the Xi administration, there is no end to sudden dismissals of incumbent ministers, such as the foreign minister and defense minister, without external explanation. Such unusual personnel changes have added to the opacity of China’s foreign and defense policies.

Since its launch in 2012, the Xi administration has pursued a large-scale anti-corruption campaign. There is believed to be a sense of urgency that tolerating corruption within the military could make it impossible to realize Xi’s goal of building armed forces that “are able to fight and win battles.”

At the same time, it cannot be denied that Xi has used corruption allegations as a reason to eliminate political rivals and concentrate power in his own hands.

Zhang, who has recently been charged, is a prominent military figure with combat experience in the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War. He is also a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, which comprises over 20 members who form the party leadership. He is believed to have been deeply trusted by Xi, and the reasons for his being purged are unknown.

As a result, there is no doubt that the concentration of power in Xi has advanced further within the military.

Xi’s third term is set to expire next year, and it is said that he is aiming for complete control of the military with an eye toward continuing his tenure. Therefore, there is a view that he is eliminating major military figures and seeking to promote younger officers loyal to him.

However, if military authority becomes concentrated with Xi and military officers’ voices become muffled, there is concern that accurate information based on specialized knowledge will no longer reach him.

How will these unusual moves affect the situation in the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea and the South China Sea, where tensions are rising due to China’s military pressure? Japan must keep a close eye on the situation.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 30, 2026)