In Xi’s China, Even the Mightiest General Can Fall

A combat veteran, Zhang Youxia was once seen as the most trusted man in Xi Jinping’s military. Now he is the most public example of disloyalty to Mr. Xi.

Jan. 26, 2026

When Gen. Zhang Youxia met with U.S. officials in Beijing in 2024, he exuded the confidence of a man who was seen as the most trusted deputy in the military of China’s top leader, Xi Jinping.

General Zhang did not appear worried that he had to look over his shoulder to make sure he was pleasing the leader, said Jake Sullivan, who was the U.S. national security adviser attending the meeting, which lasted at least an hour. “He spoke in an unvarnished way that was typical of a military guy, but also reflective of someone who didn’t feel like he had to be cautious.”

That image of General Zhang’s invulnerability, and closeness to Mr. Xi, shattered over the weekend, when China’s defense ministry announced that he was under investigation for unspecified breaches of laws and political discipline.

General Zhang’s downfall is of a different magnitude from the dozens of other generals who have been toppled in Mr. Xi’s unrelenting campaign against perceived corruption and disloyalty over the past three years. His fate has astonished even longtime experts who thought that they had taken full measure of Mr. Xi, China’s most powerful and imperious leader in generations.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/world/asia/china-xi-zhang-youxia-military.html