China's top general under probe for sharing nuclear secrets with US

China’s most senior general is facing serious allegations, including leaking sensitive information about the country’s nuclear weapons programme to the US and taking bribes in return for official favours, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

What happened?

China’s Defence Ministry on Saturday announced that two top military officers have been placed under investigation for serious violations of Communist Party discipline and national laws. Among them is General Zhang Youxia, the highest-ranking official in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

 

During Saturday’s briefing, officials said the probe into Gu Jun, the former general manager of China National Nuclear Corporation, had linked Zhang to a security breach in China’s nuclear sector. However, authorities did not share specific details about the nature of that breach.

 

What is Zhang accused of?

According to the report, Zhang is accused of forming political cliques, a term used to describe building influence networks that weaken party unity. He is also alleged to have abused his authority within the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Communist Party’s top decision-making body for the armed forces.

 

Zhang is also accused of leaking core technical data related to China’s nuclear weapons programme to the US. People familiar with the case said he allegedly accepted very large bribes in exchange for approving promotions within this high-budget defence procurement system.

How serious is the probe?

The scale of the investigation suggests it is extremely serious. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a special task force to conduct a detailed review of Zhang’s five-year tenure as commander of the Shenyang Military Region between 2007 and 2012.

 

Authorities have also seized mobile phones from officers who advanced their careers under Zhang and General Liu Zhenli, the chief of the Joint Staff Department, whose investigation was also announced on Saturday. As a result, thousands of officers with links to the two men may now come under scrutiny.

True motive remains unclear

According to the report, the decision to investigate Zhang, who was seen as a close ally of President Xi, shows that there are effectively no limits to Xi’s anti-corruption campaign.

 

At the same time, experts caution that China’s highly secretive political system makes it difficult to understand Xi’s true motives fully. Explanations shared with party insiders, such as those given in Saturday’s briefing, may not tell the complete story behind the action.

 

Meanwhile, the local newspaper PLA Daily accused him of seriously undermining the authority of the CMC Chairman, a role held by Xi. This suggests Zhang may have accumulated too much independent power outside Xi’s direct control.

Why it matters

Several analysts describe the current crackdown as the most aggressive shake-up of China’s military leadership since the era of Mao Zedong. The case underlines Xi's clear intention to exert absolute control over the armed forces.

 

However, experts also warn that the removal of many senior officers in a short span of time has created a leadership vacuum at the top of the PLA. This could weaken the military’s ability to plan and execute large-scale and complex operations in the near future.

Broader crackdown

The move marks the latest phase in Xi's sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which has intensified scrutiny within the military establishment.

 

In October last year, China expelled General He Weidong, the country’s second-highest ranking military officer, along with eight senior officials of the People’s Liberation Army, for serious disciplinary violations and alleged duty-related crimes.

 

Since taking power in 2012, Xi has targeted hundreds of senior officers, including former CMC vice-chairmen, as part of efforts to tighten political control over the PLA and curb malpractice in defence procurement and promotions.