Skip to playerSkip to main content
China’s senior-most general, Gen. Zhang Youxia, is under investigation for allegedly leaking China’s nuclear weapons data to the United States and accepting bribes for senior military promotions—according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.

Zhang, once considered President Xi Jinping’s most trusted military ally, is accused of forming political cliques, abusing his authority within the Central Military Commission, and overseeing corruption inside China’s powerful military procurement system. The investigation also links Zhang to the promotion of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who was removed from office in 2023 and later expelled from the Communist Party.

The most explosive allegation revealed in a closed-door briefing: Zhang allegedly shared core technical information about China’s nuclear weapons program with the U.S. Evidence reportedly emerged from an investigation into Gu Jun, former head of the China National Nuclear Corporation, who is also under probe.

Analysts say this sweeping purge—one of the most aggressive since the Mao era—could significantly impact the People’s Liberation Army’s combat readiness, even as Xi consolidates control over China’s military amid tensions over Taiwan and U.S.–China relations.

This video breaks down the allegations against Gen. Zhang Youxia, why this purge is unprecedented in modern Chinese military history, what it means for China’s nuclear security and military readiness, and the broader political implications for Xi Jinping and Taiwan.

#China #BreakingNews #NuclearSecrets #ChinaMilitary #XiJinping
#USChina #WorldNews #Geopolitics #PLA #Taiwan
#MilitaryNews #NuclearWeapons

Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLEtz3H0jSfEneSdf1YKnw/join

Category

🗞
News
Transcript
00:00Music
00:09In a stunning development, China's top general, who was once a close ally of President Xi Jinping,
00:15is under investigation for allegedly leaking nuclear secrets to the United States
00:20and accepting large bribes for official acts.
00:24Zhen Zhang Yuxia, aged 75, a member of China's Politburo and one of Xi's most trusted military figures,
00:31is facing allegations of severe violations of party discipline and state law.
00:37According to a high-level briefing reported by the Wall Street Journal, Zhang is accused of forming political cliques,
00:43abusing his authority within the Central Military Commission,
00:46and accepting substantial sums in exchange for promotions,
00:50including that of former Defence Minister Li Xiangfu.
00:55The most shocking allegation is that Zhang said to have leaked core technical data
01:00on China's nuclear weapons to the United States.
01:03Some of the evidence reportedly came from Gu Jun,
01:06former general manager of the China National Nuclear Corporation,
01:10which oversees both civilian and military nuclear programs.
01:14Now, Gu himself is also under investigation for serious violations.
01:19In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Liu Peng Yu, spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Washington,
01:25emphasized that the investigation underscored the party's
01:29full-coverage, zero-tolerance approach to combating corruption.
01:34Analysts say that Xi's crackdown marked the most aggressive reshaping of China's military leadership since the Mao era.
01:42Christopher Johnson of the China Strategies Group, a political risk consulting firm,
01:48called it unprecedented in the history of the Chinese military,
01:52and described the move as the total annihilation of the high command.
01:57Zhang's alleged misconduct extended to his promotion of Li Xiangfu,
02:02who was removed as Defence Minister in 2023 and later expelled from the party for corruption.
02:08A special task force has now been dispatched to investigate Zhang's tenure as commander of the Shenyang military region from 2007 to 2012,
02:18reportedly staying in local hotels rather than military bases to avoid his network of influence.
02:24The purge has already impacted thousands of officers with ties to Zhang and Zhen Liu Zhenli,
02:31Chief of the Joint Staff Department, who is also under investigation.
02:36Experts warned that this hollowing out of senior ranks could affect the People's Liberation Army's combat readiness.
02:43M. Taylor Fravel, Director of MIT's Security Studies Program, noted that overseeing a large and complex military organisation with so few senior officers is untenable,
02:55and could limit the PLA's ability to conduct major operations in the short to medium term.
03:01Observers say Xi's decisive actions reflect both a consolidation of power and a warning.
03:09Entrenched corruption, patronage networks and security breaches are existential threats to China's military objectives,
03:16including its posture toward Taiwan.
03:19For now, Zhang Yuxia and Gu Jun have not commented publicly,
03:25and Chinese authorities have confirmed only that a thorough investigation is underway.
Comments

Recommended