The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) top military command has reportedly remained in a state of paralysis for more than six months following President Xi Jinping’s sweeping purge of senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals, with reports claiming that official directives have been issued without signatures, key leadership posts remain vacant, and military morale has deteriorated sharply.
According to the reports, the prolonged uncertainty began after Xi removed several of the PLA’s most influential commanders, triggering widespread unease within the armed forces and disrupting the command structure of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the CCP’s highest military decision-making body.
Top generals removed, investigations continue amid leadership vacuum
China’s Ministry of National Defense announced on January 24 that Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, CMC member and Chief of the Joint Staff Department, were under investigation for “serious violations of Party discipline and state laws.”
The investigations, conducted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and military disciplinary authorities, reportedly concluded two months ago. However, Beijing has yet to announce the outcome publicly. Despite disappearing from public view since January, both Zhang and Liu continue to retain their official positions on paper.
The reports state that the unresolved cases have fuelled dissatisfaction among senior military officers, who view the prolonged silence as evidence of growing resistance to Xi Jinping’s purge within the PLA.
Zhang Youxia, notably, was regarded as the only serving senior CCP general with actual combat experience, having fought during China’s 1979 war against Vietnam. Both Zhang and Liu spent decades commanding combat units and accumulated considerable influence across the PLA’s theatre commands and military service branches.
Their removal reportedly deprived the armed forces of two commanders who enjoyed the confidence of frontline officers and understood the concerns of rank-and-file troops.
Unsigned military orders, fear of accountability and falling morale
According to the reports, the simultaneous investigations into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli have severely disrupted the Central Military Commission’s command system.
For more than six months, official directives have allegedly been circulated without any authorised signatures, reflecting an unprecedented reluctance among senior officers to approve important military decisions.
The reports claim that commanders throughout China’s theatre commands lost confidence in the CMC’s new leadership arrangements after the two generals were removed. Officers have reportedly become unwilling to sign key documents, fearing that they could later be held personally responsible if political winds shift.
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Sources cited in the reports argue that the problem is not a shortage of qualified personnel but rather an absence of leaders willing to assume responsibility.
Military insiders reportedly maintain that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli commanded exceptional respect within the PLA because of their operational experience, approachable leadership style, concern for ordinary soldiers and personal charisma. Many theatre commanders allegedly continued to regard them as the CMC leaders they trusted most.
With their absence, the reports say, no member of the current top leadership has been able to command comparable confidence among officers, contributing to what insiders describe as military morale falling to “rock bottom.”
Xi tightens control through discipline system as internal discontent grows
The reports further state that Xi Jinping has now purged five of the seven members of the current Central Military Commission appointed after the CCP’s 20th National Congress in 2022, leaving only Xi himself and Zhang Shengmin still in place.
Beyond the CMC, Xi has reportedly removed numerous senior military officials, including commanders and political commissars from the Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force, whom he allegedly suspected of disloyalty. The campaign has left several top military positions vacant, creating what analysts describe as a significant leadership vacuum.
Zhang Shengmin, an existing CMC member who has long overseen military discipline inspections, was elevated to CMC Vice Chairman in October 2025.
On July 3, Xi promoted Zhang Shuguang and Wang Gang to the rank of general during a ceremony in Beijing chaired by Zhang Shengmin. At the time, Zhang Shuguang served as Secretary of the CMC Discipline Inspection Commission and Director of the CMC Supervisory Commission, while Wang Gang was serving as Commander of the Air Force.
According to the reports, Zhang Shuguang’s elevation signals Xi’s increasing dependence on the military’s discipline inspection apparatus to maintain control over the armed forces rather than relying on traditional military leadership structures.
Another military insider, identified only by the surname Bi, reportedly said that the recent promotions and personnel appointments have generated fresh dissatisfaction within the PLA.
JUST IN: 🇨🇳 China has removed six senior PLA generals from the National People's Congress, extending President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption purge.
The latest dismissals come after years of purges that have seen numerous high-ranking PLA officers removed, even as China… pic.twitter.com/A0hyAVxFKr
— Asia Nexus (@nexusasian) June 27, 2026
The reports also note that, despite the investigations into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, Beijing has not announced successors for either the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission or the Chief of the Joint Staff Department. As a result, crucial positions within both the CMC’s decision-making hierarchy and the PLA’s joint combat command system remain unfilled.
Traditionally, when major developments affected the military, the Central Military Commission would brief retired senior generals to secure the backing of veteran officers. However, following the investigation into Zhang Youxia, the reports claim that retired generals have neither been informed about the case nor consulted regarding promotions to key military posts.
According to the reports, this departure from established practice indicates that Xi Jinping is no longer relying on the military’s traditional coordination mechanisms. Instead, by bypassing retired commanders and placing greater reliance on the discipline inspection system, Xi has reportedly intensified anxiety among active-duty generals and officers, deepening uncertainty within the PLA’s command structure.
