China’s nuclear secrets leak rocks Beijing as Xi removes top General Zhang Youxia

China’s ruling Communist Party has removed one of its most powerful military figures, General Zhang Youxia, after he was accused of leaking sensitive details of the country’s nuclear weapons programme to the United States — an allegation that signals a sharp and unprecedented escalation in President Xi Jinping’s ongoing purge of the armed forces.

A day after Chinese authorities confirmed that Zhang, 75, was under official investigation, The Wall Street Journal reported on January 25 that the veteran general faced charges far beyond routine corruption. Among the most serious: allegedly sharing classified nuclear information with Washington, alongside accusations of bribery and political faction-building.

If substantiated, the nuclear leak charge would mark a watershed moment in China’s internal security history, transforming what has largely been framed as an anti-corruption drive into a high-stakes national security scandal.

Official statements, as is customary in China, have stopped short of detailing the accusations. Zhang and fellow senior officer Liu Zhenli, 61, are publicly described as being investigated for “serious discipline and law violations” — a phrase typically used to signal corruption-related offences. Both men sit on the Central Military Commission (CMC), the powerful body that oversees the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and is chaired by Xi himself.

The fallout has left the CMC severely depleted. With Zhang and Liu sidelined, just two of the commission’s seven positions are now filled, the lowest strength in its history — underscoring the depth and intensity of the military shake-up.

According to the WSJ, Zhang is also accused of accepting bribes, including in connection with the appointment of a former defence minister, and of cultivating “political cliques” to entrench his influence. Such allegations mirror past justifications used to remove senior officials, though analysts note that factional rivalries and internal power recalibrations often underpin these moves.

Zhang’s fall is particularly striking given his long-standing proximity to Xi. A trusted figure and one of the last heavyweights of Xi’s own generation in the military hierarchy, Zhang wielded significant influence within the PLA. His removal signals Xi’s willingness to dismantle even his closest alliances in pursuit of absolute control.

The purge comes at a sensitive moment for Beijing, as China intensifies its posture in the South China Sea, sharpens its stance along the disputed border with India, and reiterates its claims over Taiwan, which it frames as an inevitable “reunification”. The upheaval within the military leadership could reshape Beijing’s strategic calculations at a time of heightened regional and global tensions.