Standing Committee of the NPC Removes Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from Their Posts
At the end of August 2026, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress made a decision to dismiss Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from their posts.
At the end of August 2026, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress made a decision to dismiss Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from their posts.
Xinhua News Agency announced that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli have been expelled from the Party and the military, their credentials as delegates to the 20th National Congress terminated, and their cases transferred to military judicial authorities for handling.
The CCP plans to convene the Fifth Plenary Session in October, with publicly announced agenda items including the discussion of several major issues within the Party; the cases of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are said to potentially become agenda items for the meeting.
Reports indicate that around the time Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were detained, Wang Qishan also lost his freedom and is facing a secret investigation by a central special investigation group headed by Cai Qi.
Official announcements state that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli have been severely disciplined for violations of party discipline and laws, expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and the military, and transferred to military procuratorial organs, sparking rumors of military unrest and a power struggle.
On September 23, the PLA Daily published an editorial accusing Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli of abandoning their original aspirations and engaging in clique-forming, which severely endangered the Party's absolute leadership over the military, stating that investigating the two is a major victory for military anti-corruption.
On September 21, official announcements stated that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and the military due to serious violations of discipline and law.
The Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee held a meeting ahead of schedule to completely expel Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the Party and the military, and transfer them to military procuratorial organs for review and prosecution.
Xi Jinping convened a Politburo meeting, reclassified the charges against Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, and expelled them from the CCP, while also approving personnel adjustments for the party secretaries of six provinces.
According to the source material, the Politburo on September 21 expelled Ma Xingrui, Wang Lixia and 7 others — 8 Central Committee members in total — from the Party, including Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli; the related disciplinary actions are still pending ratification by the plenary session.
On September 21, the CCP Politburo meeting reviewed and approved disciplinary decisions for Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, both of whom were expelled from the Party and the military, and their suspected criminal matters were transferred to the military procuratorial organ for investigation and prosecution.
Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, who were arrested, were announced to be expelled from the Party and the military, and transferred to a military court; this news was released nine months after their arrest.
On the eve of Xi Jinping's visit to the United States, officials announced that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli had been handed over to a military court and expelled from the Party and the military.
On August 28, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress issued an announcement declaring the removal of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from their respective positions.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress removed Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from their posts on the Central Military Commission of the State, and their qualifications as deputies to the National People's Congress were subsequently terminated.