China expels two senior military officers over corruption allegations

China has expelled two senior military officers from the ruling Communist Party and referred their cases for prosecution, in a major escalation of a corruption probe inside the country's top military leadership. The decision was taken at a meeting of senior officials in Beijing on Monday, according to state media. The move affects Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, both of whom held prominent roles in the Central Military Commission, the military body at the centre of China's defence command structure.

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The two men had already been under investigation since January, when the defence ministry said they were suspected of serious violations of discipline and law. That phrase is commonly used in China in corruption cases. State media later said the investigation found the pair had become disloyal to the party and crossed red lines through conduct including forming cliques and factions, abusing office and seeking personal gain.

The reports also said they were accused of helping others with job promotions. The latest decision means their cases will now be handled by military legal organs for review and prosecution. State media said the expulsions would still need ratification at a plenary session of the party's Central Committee.

The leadership also accused the two officers of dereliction of duty and other serious disciplinary violations. One report said the wrongdoing involved exceptionally large sums of money, although no figure was given. The case is significant because it reaches into the upper ranks of China's armed forces at a time when President Xi Jinping has continued a broad anti-corruption drive across the party, state and military.

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Zhang was widely seen as one of Xi's closest military allies, while Liu served as a member of the Central Military Commission and chief of staff of its joint staff department. Their removal underscores the political sensitivity of discipline cases inside the military, where loyalty and control are closely linked to the leadership's authority. The expulsions also follow earlier action last month, when the two officers were stripped of their positions in the state Central Military Commission.

That sequence suggests the case has moved from internal investigation to formal party punishment and now to prosecution. It also comes as Xi is due to travel to the United States this week for talks with President Donald Trump, adding diplomatic context to a domestic security and governance issue. What remains unclear is the full scope of the allegations, the evidence behind them and whether further senior figures could be drawn into the case.

It is also not yet clear how quickly the military legal process will move or what penalties prosecutors may seek. The next key step will be the expected ratification by the party's Central Committee, which would formalise the expulsions and keep the case moving toward trial.

#China #militarycorruption #CommunistParty #CentralMilitaryCommission #XiJinping

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