The investigation and apparent downfall of Zhang Youxia, China’s second-highest military official and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has raised concerns in Washington about growing instability inside the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Axar.az, citing Reuters, reports that Zhang was one of the most senior and experienced commanders in China’s military and a rare, trusted channel for U.S.–China military communication.

U.S. officials and analysts say Zhang’s removal deprives Washington of a reliable counterpart and leaves President Xi Jinping with fewer experienced advisers, increasing the risk of poor decision-making during a crisis. Zhang, who had combat experience from China’s 1979 war with Vietnam, was viewed by U.S. officials as a professional officer capable of offering realistic assessments of China’s military readiness.

His fall is the latest high-profile purge under Xi’s anti-corruption campaign within the armed forces. Analysts warn that the shrinking and increasingly politicized leadership of the PLA could heighten the risk of miscalculation, particularly over Taiwan, at a time of rising military tensions in the Indo-Pacific.