Saturday’s announcement came after about a week of speculation, largely confined to overseas Chinese-language and Taiwan-based media, that Zhang Youxia could be in trouble.
The reports highlighted Zhang Youxia’s absence on Jan 20 from a high-level study session on the fourth plenum that was attended by senior party and military leaders.
In footage of the event broadcast by CCTV, Zhang Shengmin appeared seated in the front row alongside other Politburo members. Zhang Youxia, a Politburo member, was not seen.
The reports also highlighted Liu as another notable absentee from the Jan 20 event. Others singled out included He Lifeng, who was attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, as well as Politburo members Shi Taifeng, head of the Organisation Department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, and Ma Xingrui, former party secretary of Xinjiang.
Ma’s absence has stirred talk over his fate, with reports highlighting that he has been missing from public view for the last few months. No reasons have been floated for Shi’s no-show.
ANTI-CORRUPTION CRACKDOWN
The military was one of the main targets of a broad corruption crackdown ordered by Xi in 2012. That drive reached the upper levels of the military in 2023 when the Rocket Force was targeted.
Eight top generals were expelled from the ruling Communist Party on graft charges in October 2025, including the country’s number two general, He Weidong. He had served under Xi and alongside Zhang on the CMC,
He, along with ex-CMC Political Work Department chief Miao Hua, were expelled from both the military and the party, Reuters reported.
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