Zhang Youxia Takes Decisive Action to Crush Coup and Completely Dismantle Xi’s Faction

File photo of Zhang Youxia (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] On the eve of the CCP’s 20th Central Committee Fourth Plenary Session, the internal military purge has once again reached a climax. On October 17, nine full generals were announced expelled from the Party and military. Such a large number of top generals falling at once is extremely rare and has shocked both domestic and overseas observers. Since all of them were personally promoted and elevated by Xi Jinping, some netizens believe this is Xi cutting off his own limbs — a desperate move before the CCP’s collapse. Others comment that Zhang Youxia crushed a coup attempt and dismantled Xi’s military power base.

On October 17, the CCP Ministry of National Defense announced that Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) He Weidong, former Director of the CMC Political Work Department Miao Hua, Executive Deputy Director of the CMC Political Work Department He Hongjun, Executive Deputy Director of the CMC Joint Operations Command Center Wang Xiubin, Commander of the Eastern Theater Command Lin Xiangyang, Army Political Commissar Qin Shutong, Navy Political Commissar Yuan Huazhi, Rocket Force Commander Wang Houbin, and People’s Armed Police Commander Wang Chunning — a total of nine individuals — were accused of seriously violating CCP discipline and of grave duty-related crimes involving extraordinarily huge sums, of extremely serious nature and terrible impact.

Among these nine full generals, except for Wang Houbin, who was promoted to Commander of the Rocket Force in 2023, all are members of the 20th Central Committee and must have their expulsions formally ratified at the upcoming Fourth Plenary Session. Notably, all nine were personally promoted to full general by Xi Jinping and have been advanced step by step since Xi took power. Many of them, including He Weidong, Miao Hua, and Lin Xiangyang, came from Xi’s trusted former unit — the 31st Group Army previously stationed in Fujian.

Current affairs commentator Chen Pokong believes that the downfall of Miao Hua and He Weidong was abnormal and political in nature. Miao Hua attempted to launch a coup to help Xi reclaim control over the military but was crushed by Zhang Youxia. He Weidong also tried to stage a coup for Xi and was again crushed by Zhang. These were coup and countercoup struggles. Chen believes Zhang Shengmin and Zhang Youxia acted jointly and preemptively, gaining advantage during the Third Plenary Session. Therefore, during that session, Xi Jinping suffered a stroke and collapsed, and Zhang Youxia began overseeing the daily work of the CMC. The once-frequently mentioned “Chairman responsibility system of the CMC” gradually faded away.

Overseas commentators mocked that “the generals purged outnumber those who have fallen in battle.”

A reader on the People’s Report website commented, “When Heaven wants one to perish, it first drives one mad. The great military purge — the accelerator-in-chief cutting off his own limbs — is the CCP’s final act of madness before destruction.”

Other netizens said: “Clearly it was a failed rebellion; they were purged under the name of corruption.” “If top brass are this corrupt, how can they win a war? The first battle will be lost to greed.” “There are eight Central Committee members just in the military — with the other members added, will this be a record-breaking round of replacements?” “Turning a funeral into a celebration — who can outperform Chairman Xi?” “Anti-corruption is increasingly a joke.” “They speak so righteously, yet several vice chairmen of the CMC are cowards — can this army still fight?” “How much did they embezzle? The people want to know.”

Analysts have pointed out several abnormalities in the official announcement.
First, the timing — the matter could have been revealed during the Fourth Plenary Session, but was instead announced beforehand, clearly to seize control of public opinion.

Second, He Weidong, the second CMC vice chairman and Xi’s top military confidant, had been missing for over six months, his life or death unknown. The military suddenly declared his downfall for corruption, bypassing the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Party organs, indicating that the military has come under Zhang Youxia’s control, and that removing Miao Hua and He Weidong was a direct blow to Xi Jinping.

Third, Zhang Youxia, as CMC vice chairman, now effectively holds the reins of military power. His decisive move bypassed the Politburo’s review process, showing that he can now act independently of Party constraints and strike directly at Xi’s inner circle. The downfall of these generals — all Xi’s trusted appointees from the 31st Group Army — marks the complete collapse of Xi’s grip on the military.

Fourth, on the afternoon of October 17, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said the nine were placed under investigation “with the approval of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC.” In fact, this “Central Committee and CMC” now represents a new de-Xi-ified power center, led by Party elders such as Wen Jiabao and Zhang Youxia. Its purpose is to stabilize the situation before the Fourth Plenary Session, prevent Xi from acting rashly, and ultimately force him to hand over power at the meeting. This action is not just intimidation but the beginning of a strategic realignment, signaling a major reshuffle of the Party’s internal power structure.

According to The Wall Street Journal, more than 30 senior military commanders and top defense industry executives have been investigated or dismissed over the past two years. The latest wave of purges raises questions about whether Xi can truly eradicate corruption in the PLA and ensure its loyalty and combat readiness.

Bloomberg reported that this campaign, which began with Xi’s purge of corruption in the Rocket Force, has expanded into the largest military purge since the end of Mao Zedong’s rule in 1976 — revealing that corruption has spread throughout multiple systems of the PLA. △