China’s senior-most general, second in the pecking order only to President Xi Jinping, has become the subject of an investigation as the country’s most powerful leader continues his purge of military officials suspected of graft or disloyalty. A statement from China’s defence ministry only said that General Zhang Youxia, a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) that controls the armed forces — and a childhood friend of Xi — was being investigated for “grave violations” of discipline and
China’s senior-most general, second in the pecking order only to President Xi Jinping, has become the subject of an investigation as the country’s most powerful leader continues his purge of military officials suspected of graft or disloyalty. A statement from China’s defence ministry only said that General Zhang Youxia, a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) that controls the armed forces — and a childhood friend of Xi — was being investigated for “grave violations” of discipline and the law. Leaks to the media suggest Zhang is accused of sharing technical information on China’s nuclear weapons programme with the US, building his circle of influence within the CMC, and accepting bribes for official acts such as promotions. Xi’s current purge amounts to one of the biggest changes in the Chinese military’s leadership since the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989. This points to Xi’s assertion of his will over the military to consolidate his own power, and his willingness to sacrifice even a confidant he himself elevated to a high position. It is an open secret that a Chinese leader who controls the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) also has the final say in the Communist Party of China.
The opacity surrounding the PLA — from its funding to its operations and massive build-up of capabilities over the past decade — and the decision-making by its leadership means that the implications of the development will be closely studied in countries such as India. Last year, the leadership cleared a 7.2% hike in defence spending, taking China’s official defence budget to almost $246 billion. India continues to harbour serious concerns about the lack of progress in de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control. The latest developments will hardly reduce these worries, even though Xi, in his greeting to India on its 77th Republic Day, referred to relations between Beijing and New Delhi as the “dragon and the elephant doing tango” and called for strong regional partnerships between “good neighbours, friends and partners”.
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