Why Xi Jinping purged Zhang Youxia, his 'ironclad' top general

 

 Why Xi Jinping purged Zhang Youxia, his 'ironclad' top general



Why did the leader of a superpower fire his country's highest-ranking military official? Youlun Nie sees four possible factors behind Chinese President Xi Jinping's purge of Gen. Zhang Youxia.

First, he points to the "paper tiger" reality: "Xi realized that the high-tech arsenal he had heavily invested in and taken such pride in -- like the Dongfeng missile series -- might turn out to be nothing more than expensive fireworks."

Second, the entrenched "old guard": "This purge is an act of 'destructive construction.' Xi is clearing the deck to replace the powerful establishment figures with new commanders who lack the political capital to say no. By dismantling Zhang's vast network, Xi is removing the institutional friction that slowed down his military reconstruction."

Third, the weight of "black material": "The transactional nature of Zhang's influence, where power was maintained through bribery and network protection, became incompatible with Xi's demand for absolute obedience. The sheer volume of dirt exposed by the factional war meant that Zhang could no longer serve as a pillar of the regime."

And finally, it could have been a preemptive strike: "To ensure his own political security especially with the goal of securing a fourth term at the 21st Party Congress, likely in 2027, Xi could not afford to leave such a powerful, potentially desperate figure in place. The risk that a cornered Zhang might mobilize his deep networks for a high-profile defection or a decapitation strike was a gamble Xi was unwilling to take."