The command structure of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is undergoing a deep crisis after Chinese leader Xi Jinping intensified the purge of high-ranking military officials. The investigation against two of the country's most influential generals is believed to have created a power vacuum, distrust among officers, and fear of taking responsibility for strategic decisions.
According to sources linked to the People's Liberation Army (PLA), for more than six months some official documents have reportedly been issued without the signature of any responsible party. This situation would reflect, according to these sources, the level of uncertainty within the highest military structure in China following the disappearance of two of its main figures: Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense announced on January 24 that both were being investigated for alleged serious violations of Party discipline and state laws. Zhang was the vice chairman of the CMC, the highest military leadership body of the regime, while Liu held a key position as head of the Joint Staff Department.
The investigations, according to a source identified by the pseudonym Tang Jiezhong for fear of reprisals, are said to have concluded about two months ago. However, the authorities have not yet published their results and both generals continue to formally hold their positions, despite having disappeared from the public scene since January.
This situation has fueled speculation about a growing internal resistance to Xi's purges. Zhang, in particular, was considered a figure with great authority within the PLA due to his military experience. He was one of the few high-ranking generals with direct combat experience, gained during the China-Vietnam War of 1979.
According to the cited sources, Zhang and Liu had developed influence relationships within combat units, theater commands, and the different branches of the Armed Forces over decades. Their simultaneous dismissal would have caused uncertainty among the officers responsible for executing the CMC's orders.
Tang stated that some commanders are now reluctant to sign important documents for fear that they may later be held accountable for decisions that could be questioned by the party leadership. The problem, according to his description, is not the lack of capable officers to fill command positions, but their fear of making decisions in a system increasingly dominated by political purges.
The crisis also reflects the extent of Xi's campaign against high-ranking military officials deemed potentially disloyal. Since the 2022 National Congress of the CCP, Xi has reportedly purged five of the seven members of the current CMC. In practice, only Xi and Zhang Shengmin remained from that structure, although Zhang Shengmin was later promoted to vice chairman of the commission in October 2025.
