Beijing. There has been an earthquake within China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that has shaken the corridors of power in Beijing. An investigation has been initiated against 75-year-old General Zhang Youxia, the vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), considered the most loyalist of President Xi Jinping, on very serious charges of corruption and espionage. According to international media reports, General Zhang is suspected of leaking highly confidential core technical data related to China’s nuclear weapons program to the US. Does this mean that China’s nuclear weapons could now be in America’s hands? After this sensational revelation, there has been a stir not only in China but also among global defense experts.
The Chinese Defense Ministry has officially termed this action as a serious violation of discipline and law. According to sources, in an internal briefing held within the Chinese Army, many serious allegations have been leveled against General Zhang. The most serious allegation among these is sharing technical information about nuclear weapons, which is considered the biggest threat to China’s sovereignty and military power. Additionally, Zhang has also been accused of taking huge bribes in exchange for promotions to higher posts in the army, abusing his position and creating his own parallel political faction within the army. The case is historic because Zhang was considered President Jinping’s right-hand man and the action against him reflects growing distrust within the Xi Jinping-led Communist Party.
The scope of the investigation is not limited to General Zhang only, but its impact is being seen on the entire military network. The investigating authorities have seized mobile phones and electronic devices of all the senior officers who were promoted during Zhang’s tenure. This action is believed to be part of an effort to root out the deep network of corruption spread in the army’s procurement system. It is noteworthy that from 2023 till now, China has removed more than 50 senior military officers and defense industry heads from their posts, which also includes the name of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu. After this incident, there is an atmosphere of tension in Beijing and many unconfirmed rumors like a coup are floating on social media. Some reports have claimed that there have been clashes between security forces during General Zhang’s detention, although there has been no independent confirmation of these. Some experts believe that the allegations of nuclear data leak may also be politically motivated to completely eliminate a powerful general. The Chinese Embassy in Washington, while not commenting much on this matter, has called it a policy of zero tolerance against corruption. For now, China has maintained silence on specific allegations of nuclear leaks, but this action has raised big question marks over the internal stability of the Chinese military and its nuclear security cycle.