Xi Purges His Inner Circle as Power Consolidation Reaches Peak

A 75-year-old general woke up to find himself under investigation for "serious violations of discipline and law." The target: Zhang Youxia, longtime ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping and second-in-command of China's military.

This isn't just another corruption probe. After 12 years of purges, Xi's campaign has finally reached what experts call the "asteroid belt" of his political solar system—his innermost circle of trusted allies.

When Princelings Turn on Princelings

Both Xi and Zhang belong to China's "princeling" class—children of former senior officials who've traditionally enjoyed special bonds and protection. Zhang was supposed to retire in 2022, but Xi kept him on the Central Military Commission (CMC) for a third term, underlining their closeness.

Yet last Saturday, China's defense ministry announced Zhang was under investigation alongside Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the CMC's Joint Staff Department. This effectively shrinks the seven-member military leadership body down to Xi alone.

"Zhang's removal means that truly nobody in the leadership is safe now," said Jonathan Czin of the Brookings Institution, calling the move "astonishing." The former CIA China analyst described it as crossing into Xi's political "asteroid belt"—a zone previously considered untouchable.

The Chairman Responsibility System Defense

Sunday's front-page editorial in the PLA Daily offered a telling justification: the two generals had "seriously undermined and violated" the Chairman Responsibility System. This system vests Xi, as CMC chairman, with "supreme military decision-making" power.

"To invoke violating the Chairman Responsibility System suggests Zhang had too much power outside of Xi himself," explained Lyle Morris of the Asia Society Policy Institute. But whether Zhang actually posed a threat to Xi's authority remains debatable among experts.

James Char from Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School offers a different perspective: "Xi has responded to criticisms that his PLA anti-corruption campaign has been selective—that his fellow princeling gets a free pass." Zhang had previously escaped scrutiny even as his protégé, former Defense Minister Li Shangfu, was ousted for corruption in 2023.

A Hollowed-Out Command Structure

The purge leaves China's military leadership in unprecedented territory. "It's honestly not clear how the chain of command should be functioning," Czin noted, "especially since so many officers who would otherwise be eligible to replace the disposed CMC members have themselves been ousted."

Experts predict higher-level military initiatives will slow until Xi rebuilds the commission, likely waiting until next year's Communist Party Congress to "thoroughly vet suitable candidates." Eric Hundman of BluePath Labs suggests this could involve "building some sort of new apparatus around Xi as the central decision maker."

Taiwan Implications: Delayed Aggression?

Paradoxically, the military leadership vacuum may reduce near-term Taiwan invasion risks. "Gutting the PLA high command suggests that Xi is not contemplating major military escalation against Taiwan in the near term," said Asia Society's Neil Thomas.

With Donald Trump's attention elsewhere and Taiwan's next election not until 2028, Xi has time to "clean house." But Thomas warns the crackdown aims to "elevate a cadre of more competent and loyal generals who will pose more of a threat in the future."