PLA General Zhang Youxia (center) meets with Russian officials during a visit to Moscow in December 2017. Zhang and Liu Zhenli, another high-ranking general, were recently fired from their roles and expelled from the Chinese Communist Party amid corruption allegations. (Office of the President of the Russian Federation)

PLA Purge: Xi Jinping Fires Two More Chinese Generals

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The two generals—one the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission—were long seen as close allies of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but had been under investigation for corruption for months.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been “cleaning house” at the Pentagon since he was confirmed to head the Department of Defense last year, and he announced on Tuesday that the DoD will alter the promotion process for those seeking a star on their shoulder. The secretary’s past interventions in the promotion process have attracted criticism from politicians and former military officials, who have accused him of politicizing the process and misunderstanding the sources of the military’s strength.

However, it isn’t just the United States military that has seen such shakeups within its leadership. This week, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) also expelled two of its most senior officers, citing their “serious violations of discipline and law.” General Zhang Youxia and General Liu Zhenli, two senior generals in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and members of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), were accused of “disloyalty” to the ruling Chinese Communist Party and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The two generals’ removal came ahead of Xi’s........

© The National Interest