A sudden official announcement confirms the rumors
On the afternoon of Jan. 24, 2026, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) abruptly confirmed what had circulated in overseas Chinese circles for days. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC)—the Communist Party’s supreme military command—and Liu Zhenli, Chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department, were under investigation for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law.”
The announcement stated that, following a decision by the CCP Central Committee, both men had been formally placed under investigation.
The speed and bluntness of the announcement shocked overseas observers. It served as definitive confirmation of widespread reports that the two most powerful operational commanders in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had already been detained.
Unexplained absences sparked alarm
The rumors began on Jan. 20, when Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli conspicuously failed to appear at the opening ceremony of a high-level CCP training seminar for provincial- and ministerial-level officials. The absence immediately raised red flags.
On Jan. 23, CCP Organization Department head Shi Taifeng appeared to preside over the seminar’s closing session—but Zhang and Liu were again missing. By then, speculation of a major political-military rupture was spreading rapidly online.
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The official announcement the following day confirmed the worst suspicions: this was no routine anti-corruption case, but a purge at the very top of China’s armed forces.
Claims of a failed military coup
On Jan. 23, U.S.-based independent Chinese commentator Cai Shenkun posted on X that the arrest of Zhang Youxia and at least 17 senior PLA generals was “absolutely accurate.”
According to Cai, those detained included General Liu Zhenli, General Xiao Tianliang, and Lieutenant General Zhong Shaojun. The operation reportedly involved China’s Ministry of Public Security Special Service Bureau, the Central Guard Bureau (which protects top CCP leaders), and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI)—the Party’s internal security and enforcement organ.
“This amounts to a heavyweight military upheaval,” Cai wrote.
He further claimed that the arrests had already been internally briefed to provincial-level officials on Jan. 22, with wider dissemination planned for the following day. Cai warned that the purge was not over and that large numbers of lieutenant generals, major generals, and even divisional commanders would soon follow.
Beijing lockdown and nighttime detentions
Australian-based Chinese self-media figure Jiang Wangzheng reported additional details from his sources. According to Jiang, at around 10 p.m. on Jan. 18, all PLA officers in Beijing were suddenly ordered back to their units and placed on standby.
On Jan. 19, Zhang Youxia’s son and his executive secretary were taken away. On the morning of Jan. 20, Zhang himself was summoned for questioning.
Jiang claimed that Cai Qi, a CCP Politburo Standing Committee member and Xi Jinping loyalist, personally oversaw Zhang’s arrest and led a newly formed CMC political vetting task force.
The reason, Jiang argued, was straightforward: Zhang Youxia and Xi Jinping had once been allies within the same interest bloc. But Xi wanted Zhang gone, and Zhang refused to step aside. The resulting confrontation ended with Zhang’s removal.
Who is Liu Zhenli?
Liu Zhenli, 61, is one of the PLA’s most seasoned field commanders. He previously served as commander of the former 38th Group Army, chief of staff of the PLA Ground Force, commander of the Ground Force, and chief of staff of the People’s Armed Police. In March 2023, he was appointed Chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department, placing him at the center of China’s war-planning apparatus.
His downfall alongside Zhang Youxia underscores the scale of the purge.
Zhang Shengmin: loyalist, turncoat, or the next target?
With Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli removed, observers noted that of the commanders elected to the CMC at the CCP’s 20th Party Congress, only Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin remain.
Other senior figures—Li Shangfu, Miao Hua, He Weidong, Zhang Youxia, and Liu Zhenli—have all fallen in succession.
Online speculation about Zhang Shengmin’s role has intensified. One X user alleged that on the night of Jan. 19, when Cai Qi and Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong ordered a surprise raid on the CMC headquarters, it was Zhang Shengmin who led guards to open the gates and guide security forces inside to arrest Zhang Youxia and 17 generals.
If true, Zhang Shengmin played a decisive role in Xi Jinping’s counter-coup—acting as an embedded loyalist placed beside Zhang Youxia.
Others disagree. Some speculate that Zhang Shengmin, now the last man standing, could himself attempt a final power play—or become the next target in Xi’s purge.
For now, his fate remains uncertain.
A sudden death and an ominous propaganda signal
On Jan. 23, as news of Zhang Youxia’s detention spread, reports emerged that his former superior, Liao Xilong, had died suddenly at age 85. Liao, a former director of the PLA General Logistics Department, was a powerful figure in earlier military patronage networks.
Chinese online encyclopedias updated his death date to Jan. 23, 2026.
The timing raised eyebrows. One day earlier, Cai Shenkun had reported that at the funeral of another retired general, wreaths sent by Zhang Youxia were abruptly removed.
Observers began scrutinizing military funerals for signs of political erasure.
That same day, CCTV Military Channel released a propaganda video in which a PLA soldier declared: “I came to serve on the southeastern coast to go to war. Today, my dream is about to come true.”
The video immediately triggered speculation that Xi Jinping may be preparing the PLA for a military operation against Taiwan, following the internal purge.
International alarm and US intelligence attention
Reports of Zhang Youxia’s arrest quickly drew attention in Washington.
On Jan. 23, Michael Flynn, former director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency and former National Security Advisor, reposted Cai Shenkun’s claims, writing:
“Breaking: A coup appears to be underway inside Communist China. Massive instability within the CCP and its military leadership. The consequences will directly impact U.S. foreign policy, Indo-Pacific force posture, and the future trajectory of U.S.–China relations.”
Flynn issued a stark warning to Xi Jinping, urging him to prepare for severe consequences from internal upheaval.
A regime consumed by internal warfare
Taiwanese defense analyst Shen Mingshi noted that since the CCP’s Third Plenum in mid-2024, internal power struggles have intensified. With the annual “Two Sessions” approaching and leadership arrangements for the CCP’s 21st Party Congress looming, further turmoil is likely.
Chinese human rights lawyer You Feizhu wrote bluntly: “I advised Zhang Youxia to act sooner. He didn’t listen, and now he’s been captured alive by Xi. I urge all PLA generals: stage a coup, return power to the people, or you will be purged next.”
Online reactions were even starker:
- “The officer corps is being crushed one by one by a mad dictator. There are no exits left except overthrowing him.”
- “This was not a ‘near coup.’ It was a coup, a counter-coup, and another purge.”
- “Xi has finally taken down the PLA’s number-two man. His own faction is now exhausted. The Party is seeing red.”
One commenter, quoting the classical text The Peach Blossom Spring, offered a rare note of hope: “At first extremely narrow, then suddenly open and bright.”
Whether optimism is warranted remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Chinese Communist Party is devouring itself from within, and the consequences—for China, Taiwan, and the world—are only beginning to unfold.
