Four Major Reasons Why Xi Jinping Had Zhang Youxia Arrested

Zhang Youxia's fall

[People News] After Zhang Youxia’s downfall, the whole world has been asking the same question: Zhang was not only a long-time family associate of Xi but also one of Xi’s trusted allies. Xi’s smooth reappointment at the 20th Party Congress reportedly relied heavily on Zhang’s support, which is why Xi allowed the 72-year-old Zhang to remain in office at that congress. Given this, why would Xi Jinping move against him?

There were online rumors claiming Xi targeted Zhang because Zhang allegedly leaked the CCP’s nuclear weapons plans to the United States. This claim has already been denied by a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense.

There are also rumors that Xi moved against Zhang because Zhang accepted bribes and promoted former Defense Minister Li Shangfu and others. However, according to the five major charges listed against Zhang in the CCP military newspaper, none are directly related to corruption, so this explanation also appears invalid.

So what exactly are the reasons behind Xi Jinping’s move against Zhang Youxia? Based on online information and analysis, the following explanations seem to have some credibility.

Reason One: Zhang Youxia Publicly Challenged Xi Jinping’s Control Over the Military

Liberal legal scholar Yuan Hongbing recently revealed that less than half a month after figures like He Weidong and Miao Hua fell from power, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli jointly submitted a report to the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the CCP. The report called for “rapidly filling” senior military leadership positions and included a recommendation list of more than 70 lieutenant generals and major generals. It claimed the list was generated through “public opinion assessments” from over 100,000 officers across the military and represented “the will of the troops.” “This move was undoubtedly a direct challenge to Xi Jinping’s ultimate authority over the appointment of senior military officers.”

Yuan Hongbing disclosed that, according to insiders, Zhang Youxia delivered a highly impactful speech at a subsequent expanded CMC meeting. He pointed out that multiple major cases after the 20th Party Congress had already caused irreversible damage to the military’s reputation. Zhang reportedly said, “The Central Military Commission must deeply reflect on serious mistakes in promoting and appointing senior officers. Power and responsibility go hand in hand. If power is centralized in one person, then that person must also bear the responsibility. In the future, especially regarding senior officer appointments, the CMC cannot continue with one-man decisions. It must conduct collective discussions and make decisions that align with the will of the troops.”

Zhang Youxia also appeared to take a swipe at Xi Jinping’s wife, Peng Liyuan, saying, “Appointments of senior officers must not turn into a family shop. The recommendation list Liu Zhenli and I submitted was drawn from over 100,000 officers across the entire military.”

Yuan Hongbing said this list effectively trampled on Xi Jinping’s authority, which is why the CCP’s official announcement accused Zhang of “seriously undermining the responsibility system of the CMC chairman.”

Reason Two: Zhang Youxia’s Power Became Intolerable to Xi Jinping

On January 30, the Financial Times published an article by former CIA China analyst Dennis Wilder titled “The Meaning of Xi Jinping’s Military Purge.” It pointed out that Zhang Youxia removed Miao Hua and He Weidong—figures personally installed by Xi in top CMC positions—which likely shocked Xi. “Xi Jinping may have been wondering whether he himself could become Zhang Youxia’s next target, or whether Zhang was trying to block his bid for a fourth five-year term as chairman. As a Politburo member and the highest-ranking officer, Zhang Youxia could potentially work with other Politburo members and retired party elders in the coming year to take such action.” Wilder concluded that Zhang’s real “crime” was neither corruption nor incompetence, but that “his power had grown too large for Xi Jinping to tolerate.”

Reason Three: Zhang Youxia Opposed Xi Jinping’s Plan to Attack Taiwan

According to The Epoch Times, around the time of the Fourth Plenum last October, several sources close to the Chinese military told reporters that “Zhang Youxia clearly opposed immediate military action in multiple internal meetings. He pointed out that Taiwan’s defense system ranks just below Israel’s and above Ukraine’s. Before the Two Sessions, he warned that intervention by the U.S., Japan, Australia, and the Five Eyes alliance was highly likely. If a prolonged war failed to produce quick results, it could trigger domestic unrest, and the CCP military’s current troop strength and logistics would struggle to sustain a long campaign.”

Sources said Zhang advocated stabilizing the situation and avoiding war amid economic slowdown and diplomatic isolation. This stance was reportedly seen by Xi as “shaking military morale” and became a trigger for the subsequent purge of military generals.

Reason Four: Xi Jinping’s Belief in Prophecies Made Him Fear Zhang Youxia

As early as 2011, WikiLeaks released a classified cable from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to Washington stating that Xi Jinping strongly believes in Buddhist supernatural forces, qigong, and mystical powers.

The 46th image in the ancient prophecy book Tui Bei Tu says:
“A soldier bearing a bow, calling himself an old man with white hair;
Inside the eastern gate lies a hidden golden sword;
A warrior enters the imperial palace through the back door.”
This is interpreted as predicting a palace military coup in China.

It is said that Xi Jinping deeply believes in Tui Bei Tu. The first to be purged was the Rocket Force, associated with the “bow” radical. Former Premier Li Keqiang also had the “bow” radical in his name and died suddenly not long after retirement. Now Zhang Youxia, whose name also contains the “bow” radical, has become a purge target. Another official taken down at the same time, CMC Joint Staff Chief Liu Zhenli, is also linked to the prophecy because the traditional character for “Liu” can be broken into components resembling “metal blade,” interpreted as the “hidden golden sword.”

Although these four reasons differ in emphasis, they share a clear common point: all suggest that Zhang Youxia posed a threat to Xi Jinping’s power and position—at least in Xi’s view. This appears to be the key reason Xi moved against him. The CCP military newspaper’s accusation that Zhang “seriously betrayed the trust of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission” and “seriously undermined the responsibility system of the CMC chairman” further supports this conclusion.△