The highest–ranking uniformed officer in China has been dramatically toppled in a sweeping anti–corruption purge that has left the world’s largest military in a state of chaos.
Once the Xi Jinping’s untouchable right–hand man, General Zhang Youxia’s fall from grace was confirmed on Saturday after the secretive Central Military Commission launched a high–stakes investigation into his conduct.
With reports that Zhang may have compromised China’s nuclear secrets, analysts say U.S. intelligence could now hold the ‘crown jewels’ of Beijing’s arsenal –– a game–changing leverage as President Trump prepares for a high–stakes summit with Xi Jinping this April.
Coming just days after Trump’s new National Defense Strategy prioritized ‘Western Hemisphere dominance,’ this latest slashing leaves Xi without his most seasoned military advisor.
While the purge consolidates Xi’s absolute power, it strips away a moderating voice, raising fears that an unchecked Beijing could now more easily miscalculate a move toward Taiwan or the South China Sea.
Zhang has allegedly accepted bribes for official acts, including the promotion of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu – who was removed from his position in 2023 for corruption and purged from the party the following year.
While state mouthpieces vaguely cited ‘grave violations of discipline and law,’ insiders claim the betrayal goes far deeper –– alleging the general leaked core technical data on China’s nuclear arsenal to American intelligence.
The gravity of such a charge cannot be overstated, experts tell the Daily Mail.
The highest–ranking uniformed officer in China,has been dramatically toppled in a sweeping anti–corruption purge that has left the world’s largest military in a state of chaos
China’s liquid–fueled intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles DongFeng–5C, which have a global strike range, pass through Tian’anmen Square during the V–Day military parade on September 3
Brent Sadler, a military diplomat in Asia who spent twenty–six years in the Navy, notes the lethal stakes of these accusations.
‘The allegations of leaking sensitive Chinese nuclear weapons information would be remarkable and if true highly likely to result in the General’s execution. Yet, getting the full extent of what information was passed will be likely shrouded in secrecy for years to come,’ Sadler explained.
But was this a genuine coup attempt or a calculated frame job?
As rumors of nuclear bribery and high–level treason swirl, former State Department consultant John Sitilides pulls back the curtain on a ‘plausible reality’ that suggests the world may be watching a ruse.
Sitilides, a National Security Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, warns that the allegations against General Youxia might be a smokescreen for a much deeper game of survival.
‘This bizarre story seems to be an information warfare operation against the U.S., as well as against Xi’s internal Communist Party rivals, including Gen. Zhang’s allies. Zhang may have been engaged in genuine corruption, building up alternative power networks inside the party, or planning a coup against Xi.’
If the intelligence is manufactured, the former State Department consultant explained, it provides the perfect ‘legal’ cover for a total cleansing of the CCP’s upper echelons.
Several prominent China observers share skepticism regarding the official narrative, suggesting the allegations may be a strategic plan to consolidate power amid internal challenges.
Neil Thomas, an expert with the Asia Society’s Center for China Analysis, highlighted the logistical hurdles in another interview: ‘He would have to get these secrets from the China National Nuclear Corporation and transmit or hand them to an agent… But his communications are monitored and he rarely (if ever?) meets anyone unaccompanied.’
Zhu Zhiqun, director of The China Institute at Bucknell University, agrees with that reasoning.
‘The purge of top brasses is often framed as corruption cases, but the reality may be more complicated… It may be an indication that (Xi’s) power is constantly being challenged by people around him.’
Only time will tell whether there were actual nuclear secrets revealed, or whether it is a ‘ruse.’
Zhang Youxia, first–ranked vice chairman of the CMC, attends the opening ceremony of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference back in March 2025
Sadler, a military diplomat in Asia who spent twenty–six years in the Navy, including a final assignment in the China branch at the Pentagon, warns this isn’t the first or last of Xi’s purges
By effectively annihilating his top command from seven members to just two, analysts further conclude that Xi has removed every ‘moderating’ voice, leaving President Trump to face an absolute autocrat who can now trigger a conflict without hesitation.
Sitilides notes that the carnage within the Central Military Commission is already unprecedented.
‘A shocking but false intelligence operation gives Xi the pretext to purge and detain Zhang and justify his next steps to reconsolidate his grip on absolute power in Beijing. In the meantime, China’s Central Military Commission high command has been decimated by Xi’s actions, diminished from seven members in 2022 to just two today,’ Sitilides added.
Experts say the Communist Party’s culture of secrecy makes it difficult to conduct foreign intelligence and produce fact–based assessments, ensuring that the truth remains buried.
Sadler, a military diplomat in Asia who spent twenty–six years in the Navy, including a final assignment in the China branch at the Pentagon, warns this isn’t the first or last of Xi’s purges.
‘They go to his highest level leadership, to include close childhood friends and otherwise staunch Xi supporters,’ Sadler told the Daily Mail. ‘Expect more of these anti–corruption purges that really are more about Party discipline than what we in the West would consider corruption.’
Zhang was the operational leader of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the unified armed forces of the nation.
He is a childhood friend of President Xi and had survived several rounds of removals that began when Xi came to power in 2012.
President Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping shake hands as they leave after their talks at the Gimhae Air Base back in October 2025
Chinese Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia attends a ceremony to mark Martyrs’ Day
More than 200,000 officials have been booted since then.
Sadler points out that Xi’s internal ‘house–cleaning’ may actually be a precursor to external aggression, specifically regarding the 2027 timeline for Taiwan.
‘These purges and leadership shuffles should not be viewed as influencing one way or another the very dedicated buildup for an armed showdown over Taiwan—a goal to be ready to prevail in by 2027. That clock continues to tick and all indications are that preparations are proceeding unabated despite this and similar past purges,’ Sadler said, also referencing Stalin’s purge of his own generals leading up to the invasion of Poland.
Authorities have also reportedly confiscating cellphones and other devices from people in the military ranks under Zhang as part of their investigation.
