China has dismissed two of the country's top military officials, Generals Zhang Guxia and Liu Zhenli, from their posts after a months-long investigation into serious violations of discipline and the law. Zhang Guxia, a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and one of the most powerful figures in the Chinese military, has been implicated in particularly serious charges. He is suspected of leaking classified technical information about China's nuclear weapons to the United States.
According to foreign media reports, the 75-year-old general is also suspected of receiving large sums of money in exchange for military promotions, including favoring officials for important positions in the defense system. The investigation against Zhang is also related to suspicions of creating political networks within the military and abusing power while leading a structure responsible for research, development and procurement of military equipment.
Liu Zhenli, a member of the Central Military Commission and former chief of the General Staff, has also been investigated for serious violations of discipline and the law. The two generals had been absent from several important public events in recent months, raising doubts about their political fate. Their dismissal comes after a wide-ranging purge at the top levels of the Chinese military.
In October 2025, China dismissed nine senior generals in one of the largest purges within the military in decades. President Xi Jinping has intensified the fight against corruption in the armed forces, considering it a serious threat to the Communist Party and its control over the military.
Zhang Guxia was a particularly important figure because of his position in the military hierarchy and family ties to China's political elite. His father was an early Communist Party figure and had fought alongside Xi Jinping's father during the Chinese Civil War.
However, the charges of leaking nuclear secrets and taking bribes are still accusations and not a final judicial sentence. The Chinese authorities themselves, in official announcements, have used the general wording of serious violations of discipline and law.
