PLA purges intensify: Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli under investigation
Investigating and handling Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli in accordance with discipline and law will inevitably further rectify the roots and clarify the origins from a political perspective, eliminate toxins and malpractices from an ideological perspective, and remove rot to promote healing from an organizational perspective. It will consolidate and deepen the results of political rectification, promote the rebirth of the people’s army, and inject powerful momentum into the development of the cause of strengthening the military. - PLA Daily editorial
The rumors were true.
Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are in trouble, as a somewhat tense Ministry of Defense spokesperson announced Saturday in a very short statement:
Zhang Youxia, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, are suspected of serious violations of Party discipline and law. After deliberation by the Party Central Committee, it has been decided to open a case for review and investigation against Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli.
中央政治局委员、中央军委副主席张又侠，中央军委委员、中央军委联合参谋部参谋长刘振立涉嫌严重违纪违法，经党中央研究，决定对张又侠、刘振立立案审查调查
The downfall of another CMC vice-chair and Politburo member, and one who has had a long relationship with Xi Jinping, as well as another CMC member, is shocking. The speed at which they announced this case, just days after the latest rumors surged, is interesting. Rumors about He Weidong circulated for months before the official announcement. So why the rush? Is it something so shocking to the system that the leadership realized it needed to get ahead of the rumors and quickly start the propaganda and political education process inside the PLA?
The South China Morning Post in its story on the announcement cited a source with knowledge of the official, internal story about the case:
A source familiar with the situation said the party elite had been briefed about the investigation on Friday.
The source said Zhang was accused of corruption and of failing to rein in his close associates, family members and relatives. He was also blamed for not flagging problems to the party leadership at the first instance, according to the source, who declined to be named due to sensitivity of the issue.
A second source with knowledge of the matter said Zhang was formally detained by military corruption investigators on Monday.
The official, internal story is not always the truth about what happened, and it sounds like this case is about more than corruption, at least according to the Sunday PLA Daily Editorial: Resolutely Win the Tough, Protracted, and Overall Battle of the Military’s Anti-Corruption Struggle 解放军报社论：坚决打赢军队反腐败斗争攻坚战持久战总体战. That editorial says:
As senior cadres of the Party and the military, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli have seriously betrayed the trust and heavy responsibility entrusted to them by the Party Central Committee and the CMC. They have seriously trampled upon and undermined the CMC Chairman Responsibility System, seriously fueled political and corruption issues that affect the Party’s absolute leadership over the military and endanger the Party’s ruling foundation, seriously affected the image and prestige of the CMC leadership team, and seriously impacted the political and ideological foundation of the unity and forge-ahead spirit of all officers and soldiers. They have caused immense damage to the military’s political construction, political ecology, and combat capability construction, and have had an extremely vile influence on the Party, the state, and the military. Investigating and handling Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli in accordance with discipline and law will inevitably further rectify the roots and clarify the origins from a political perspective, eliminate toxins and malpractices from an ideological perspective, and remove rot to promote healing from an organizational perspective. It will consolidate and deepen the results of political rectification, promote the rebirth of the people’s army [换羽重生], and inject powerful momentum into the development of the cause of strengthening the military.
张又侠、刘振立身为党和军队的高级干部，却严重辜负党中央、中央军委信任重托，严重践踏破坏军委主席负责制，严重助长影响党对军队绝对领导、危害党的执政根基的政治和腐败问题，严重影响军委班子形象威信，严重冲击全军官兵团结奋进的政治思想基础，对军队政治建军、政治生态和战斗力建设造成极大破坏，对党、国家和军队造成极为恶劣影响。依纪依法查处张又侠、刘振立，必将进一步从政治上正本清源，从思想上肃毒除弊，从组织上去腐生肌，巩固深化政治整训成果，推动人民军队换羽重生，为强军事业发展注入强大动力。
Language like:
seriously trampled upon and undermined the CMC Chairman Responsibility System [重践踏破坏军委主席负责制], seriously fueled political and corruption issues that affect the Party’s absolute leadership over the military and endanger the Party’s ruling foundation [严重助长影响党对军队绝对领导, 危害党的执政根基的政治和腐败问题], seriously affected the image and prestige of the CMC leadership team, and seriously impacted the political and ideological foundation of the unity and forge-ahead spirit of all officers and soldiers.
makes it sound like Xi saw them as undermining him in the military, at least.