China has the world's largest military. It has more than two million active soldiers. In addition, it has a large number of paramilitary forces and armed police.

The Central Military Commission, which directs all these bodies, has recently been removed one after another on various charges.

Of the 7 members approved by the National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022, only President Xi Jinping (Chairman) and his confidant Zhang Xingmin are currently on the commission. Article 93 of China's Constitution gives this commission the authority to operate all of China's security apparatus, including the People's Liberation Army, Navy, Air Force, Nuclear Rocket Force, Armed Police Force, and Militia.

Since the chairman of this commission has all the authority, the president usually keeps this position for himself. Xi is considered one of the most powerful leaders in Chinese history, as he leads all three apparatuses: the nation, the party, and the army.

Taking authority from Xi, First Vice Chairman General Zhang Yuxia was overseeing military affairs in China. However, last Saturday, he was dismissed along with commission member General Liu Zhenli. Three members had already been prosecuted.

Zhang and Liu were investigated for serious disciplinary violations, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. In China, corruption charges are often considered serious disciplinary violations. The Xi administration, which has a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, immediately dismisses those found guilty.

But Zhang's charges may not be limited to corruption. The Wall Street Journal, a US media outlet, reported that Zhang was accused of providing technical data about China's nuclear weapons program to the US and accepting bribes. It said it had obtained this information from various sources, but this has not been independently confirmed.

Xi is supreme

Xi is now the president and chairman of this commission, which is supposed to be run by collective decision-making. Apart from him, only Vice Chairman Xingmin remains on this commission, whom Xi himself promoted from a member last October.

At that time, Vice Chairman He Weidong and Director of the Political Department Miao Hua were prosecuted. Both of them were removed from the Communist Party and the commission and a corruption case was filed.

The first prosecution in the Military Commission was against former Defense Minister Li Sangfu in October 2023. Thus, the recent prosecutions in the Military Commission are considered part of Xi's comprehensive anti-corruption campaign. During this campaign, nearly 200,000 government officials have been prosecuted since 2012.

In 2014, former security chief and Politburo member Zhou Yongkang was jailed for taking bribes. In 2015, former President Hu Jintao's chief adviser Ling Zhihua was accused of abuse of power, and in 2017, Politburo member Sun Zhengkai was arrested on corruption charges.

Many such high-ranking officials have been prosecuted under Xi. In July 2023, then-Foreign Minister Qin Gang was removed from his post on President Xi's own instructions. But this time, people are surprised that Xi has used the baton of action against his own confidant.

Zhang was a confidant. Zhang Yaxia is believed to have a strong hold on the military. Because he had the longest military service experience among the members of the Military Commission. He began his military service in 1968 at the age of 18.

He commanded a unit in the war against Vietnam in 1979 and 1984. He then served as a commander in northeast China for a while. Shortly after that, he rose to a senior position at the military headquarters in Beijing. After Xi Jinping came to the party leadership, Zhang became a member of the Military Commission in 2012. Five years later, he became the senior vice chairman of the commission.

He was considered a confidant of Xi. They are both from Shaanxi province. Both of their fathers fought on the same front against the Japanese Empire in the 1930s.

Zhang was due to retire in 2022. But Xi gave him a third term on the Military Commission. That same year, breaking with established norms, Xi also made him a member of the Politburo. At the age of 72, most people have retired.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has set a goal of transforming the People's Liberation Army into a modern force by 2027. He aims to further modernize it by 2035 and make it as capable as the US military by 2049.

But at the same time, one general after another in the Chinese military is being prosecuted or investigated. Xi now faces the challenge of promoting officers with strategic acumen, planning skills, and the ability to command and control to fill the vacuum.

What will happen?

Zhang's

dismissal has fueled suspicions and conspiracy theories. However, China has not commented on the matter.

US media outlets have reported that In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, sources close to the Chinese military said that Zhang has been accused of treason. The sources claim that he has been accused of providing technical data on China's nuclear weapons program to the United States and accepting bribes.

Some analysts also suspect that Xi has brought him under investigation because he feels threatened by Zhang's growing influence in the military. Some speculate that the role of the Military Commission in China has already been reduced. Some time ago, officials from the US intelligence agency CIA claimed that Xi had instructed the People's Liberation Army to seize the self-ruled Chinese island of Taiwan by 2027. According to the CIA, such an instruction came in 2021. Zhang may have been prosecuted for delaying this goal, Tristan Tang, a non-resident fellow at the Pacific Forum think tank, told the Financial Times.

‘As a result of this action, it seems unlikely that China will take Taiwan in the near future. However, the training and exercise activities of the People’s Liberation Army will not be affected by this. In fact, it may even be more aggressive,’ Tang said.

Joshua Arostegui, research director of the China Landpower Studies Center under the US Army War College, says the impact of Zhang and Liu’s removal will be felt directly in the military. This will have a direct impact on the training, equipment and fighting of the army. They have given their clear vision to the troops under them. When there is a sudden change in leadership, it takes time for the soldiers to adjust to it,’ he said. Jonathan Xin, a fellow at the China Center at the Brookings Institution, sees this as the result of China’s internal power struggle. Former CIA China analyst Xin said it makes sense that Xi, after previously sidelining his enemies, is now taking action against his own trusted figures.

'In the Chinese system led by Xi, no one trusts anyone. This makes it clear that no one is safe,' he told CNN. 'The issue of purges has reached the highest levels of the party. This indicates that Xi has concluded that the People's Liberation Army is in a state of chaos. But, to end this chaos, he must purge a generation of leaders. To do this, he also put his relationship with Zhang at stake. It doesn't take years to build such a relationship. It can take decades and even a lifetime. But it broke down, because politics is tough.'

Despite the instability in the Military Commission, China is increasing its military power. The naval presence is growing, especially on the Pacific coast. In 2025, China's military spending was $220 billion.

The military department has been an important part of history

Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, used to say, 'Political power grows from the barrel of a gun.' He made this point in his 1938 address on 'Problems and Strategies of War.' This argues that the People's Liberation Army should always be dominant in the Communist Party.

This idea is still deeply rooted in Chinese political culture. Hu Jintao, who was elected General Secretary of the Communist Party in 2002, was easily handed over by then General Secretary Jiang Zemin. The following year, he also handed over the presidency. However, it took another two years to hand over the responsibility of the Military Commission. Deng Xiaoping, considered the most influential leader in China after Mao, never reached the leadership of the Communist Party and the country. However, he was considered the supreme leader from 1980 until his death. Because from 1981 to 1990, he was the chairman of the military department. The president and the general secretary of the Communist Party also followed his instructions. During this period, it was his plan to lead China on the path of economic liberalization. The credit for laying the foundation of modern China's economic strength goes to him.