China has removed Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the state Central Military Commission
Former Western Theatre commander Zhao Zongqi has also been removed from China’s top political advisory body
Zhao led the India-facing Western Theatre during the 2017 Doklam standoff and 2020 Ladakh crisis, but there is no official link between his removal and those confrontations
China has removed Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the state Central Military Commission after they were placed under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, the latest development in President Xi Jinping's long-running military anti-corruption campaign. The National People's Congress Standing Committee announced the removals on Friday.
China's Ministry of National Defence announced in January that Zhang and Liu had been placed under investigation for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”. Zhang was vice chairman of the CMC, while Liu was a CMC member and chief of the Joint Staff Department.
Why Is China Purging Generals?
The removals come amid Xi's extensive campaign against corruption in the People's Liberation Army. Beijing has repeatedly stressed that serious violations of discipline and law will be investigated regardless of rank.
The removal of the two commanders further reshapes China's senior military leadership. The state Central Military Commission is separate from the Communist Party's Central Military Commission, which is the party structure through which Xi exercises authority over the PLA.
What Is The India Link?
The India angle centres on General Zhao Zongqi, a former commander of the PLA's Western Theatre Command, who was removed from China's top political advisory body on Wednesday.
China's National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference decided to remove Zhao as a Standing Committee member and deputy head of its Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee and to revoke his CPPCC membership. The official record does not say that his removal was connected to his past military role or the India-China border disputes.
Zhao commanded the Western Theatre Command from 2016 to 2020 and was in command during the 2017 Doklam standoff and the 2020 India-China border crisis in eastern Ladakh. India's Defence Ministry identified Zhao as the Western Theatre Commander during his December 2016 visit to India for bilateral military exchanges.
Zhao And The Border
Zhao's tenure overlapped with two major confrontations between India and China.
During the Doklam standoff in 2017, India said a Chinese construction party had entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road, prompting Indian personnel to intervene in coordination with Bhutan.
The 2020 Ladakh crisis later culminated in the deadly Galwan confrontation. India's official account said Chinese forces had attempted to alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control before the June 15 violence.
Zhao's position is therefore relevant to India because he was the senior PLA commander of the Western Theatre during these episodes. That establishes his institutional connection to the India-facing military command, but not any personal responsibility for the confrontations.
Why Does His Removal Matter?
Zhao was still serving as a Standing Committee member of the CPPCC and deputy head of its Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee in July 2026, according to the Chinese advisory body's records. His subsequent removal represents another change involving a senior former PLA commander.
For India, the broader significance lies in the continuing upheaval among China's senior military leadership. The Western Theatre Command is responsible for China's military posture in the India-facing region, making changes involving former commanders relevant to the security environment along the border.
There is, however, no official indication that Zhao's removal was linked to the Doklam or Galwan confrontations, or that the wider purge represents a change in China's India policy.
The latest developments therefore point primarily to a continuing leadership and disciplinary shake-up within the PLA. For India, their significance lies in the fact that one of the commanders affected, Zhao Zongqi, previously led the Western Theatre during two major India-China border confrontations.
