By Li Jingyao, Vision Times
Beijing has issued a new set of military disciplinary rules that analysts say carry “open killing intent,” revealing a growing rift between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Central Military Commission (CMC) vice chairman Zhang Youxia. The revised “Supplementary Regulations for Implementing the CCP Disciplinary Code in the Military” will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026 — and the timing, language, and political backdrop point to shaky ground inside the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
On Nov. 30, PLA Daily reported that the CMC had formally issued the updated rules, framed as a tightening of political discipline. The “supplemental provisions” emphasize punishing those who fail to implement the “CMC Chairman Responsibility System,” promote “wrong political views,” express “improper remarks,” or fail to carry out CMC directives. They also cite the need to crack down on “fake combat readiness” and “false training results.”
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The rules further target personnel selection, financial conflicts of interest, private profiteering within military units, and “violations involving banquets, drinking, and improper military-civilian interactions.”
Challenging Xi’s authority
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Taiwan’s National Defense and Security Research Institute researcher Gong Xiangsheng said the new regulations expose the PLA’s lingering dysfunction, even after the sweeping 2015 “military reforms.”
He noted that the persistent references to military profiteering reveal that off-the-books funds, corrupt networks, and illicit revenue streams — some dating back decades — remain entrenched. “This is a sign of a deep disciplinary crisis,” he said, “where military rules are unable to overcome vested interests.”
Commentator Zhang Tianliang said the document inadvertently confirms that Xi’s authority has been openly challenged. The most telling parts, he said, are the admissions of:
- “Poor implementation of the CMC Chairman Responsibility System”
- “Fake combat capability”
Zhang added, “This clearly exposes that the military is not listening to Xi Jinping. And on false combat capability — U.S. intelligence already revealed in 2024 that some of the Rocket Force’s ICBM fuel tanks were filled with water.”
Gong also pointed out that corruption and fake combat readiness are fundamentally linked. Money that should have been invested in real fighting capability was allegedly siphoned off by top generals — notably He Weidong and others who were purged. Zhang Youxia himself recently published a Party-line article criticizing “two-faced people” inside the ranks.
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Commentator Li Lin-yi said He Weidong once tried to accuse Zhang Youxia of “fake training,” a charge that ultimately failed. Now, he said, Zhang is effectively turning that accusation around: “This is a classic CCP power-struggle tactic — forcing the original allegation back onto the accuser.”
A showdown between Xi and Zhang?
Political analyst Chen Pokong said the regulations read like a signal that Xi and Zhang Youxia have reached a breaking point. The key phrase, he noted, is the section punishing those who “fail to implement the CMC Chairman Responsibility System” — a euphemism for failing to obey Xi.
“Who does this refer to?” Chen asked. “Is it He Weidong and Miao Hua? Impossible. Those two were Xi’s most loyal lieutenants. Without Xi, they would never have risen.”
The real confrontation traces back to the March 2025 Two Sessions, when He Weidong openly challenged Zhang Youxia, invoking “2-4-4-2” and loudly emphasizing the Chairman Responsibility System. Zhang refused to repeat it.
“If the rules were drafted by Xi’s side,” Chen said, “then they are aimed squarely at Zhang Youxia — a warning and a threat.”
Xi, he added, may be attempting a counterattack. Zhang previously oversaw the former General Armament Department, making him an easy target for “anti-corruption” charges. Combined with Zhang’s quiet, unpublicized trip to Russia — a trip state media conspicuously ignored — the tensions are impossible to miss.
Chen noted that Xi believes Zhang is undermining the Chairman Responsibility System. “After Xi collapsed at the Third Plenum last year, Zhang Youxia, backed by Party elders and princelings, took control of military power,” he said. “It is obvious Xi has already lost command authority.”
Purging Xi’s faction
Conversely, Chen said, it is plausible that the document was drafted by Zhang Youxia’s camp. If so, he said, it means the PLA leadership is “borrowing Xi’s name to punish Xi’s own loyalists.”
Under this scenario, the “failure to implement the Chairman Responsibility System” refers not to Zhang but to He Weidong, Miao Hua, and the other Xi-appointed generals who were purged. Zhang’s side could be using the rules to justify further arrests, signaling that the cleanup is not over.
Zhang also published a widely circulated article in People’s Daily, pledging to eradicate “fake loyalty,” “two-faced behavior,” and “remaining toxic elements” — signaling direct confrontation with the remnants of the Xi faction.
“The new regulations smell of blood,” Chen warned. “This is a sharp, direct standoff. Zhang Youxia narrowly escaped danger in Yan’an last June but regained power at the Third Plenum. If he slips again, Xi will strike.” At the center of this struggle is Zhang Shengmin, newly elevated CMC vice chair — a figure many analysts believe will determine which side emerges victorious.
Editorial note: Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Vision Times.
