Chinese President Xi Jinping has made a rare public reference to a sweeping military purge that recently removed top generals, including General Zhang Youxia, once considered one of Xi’s closest military allies, BBC reported.

Axar.az reports that Zhang, vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), was removed in January for “serious violations of discipline and law,” a phrase typically used to denote corruption. Another senior officer, General Liu Zhenli, was also dismissed.

Over the past three years, at least 14 full-rank generals have been sacked or investigated, with nine senior officers removed as recently as October 2025.

In his annual Chinese New Year address to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Xi described the past year as “unusual and extraordinary,” stating the military had undergone “revolutionary tempering” through anti-corruption efforts and political rectification. He emphasized the PLA’s loyalty to the Communist Party.

Xi rarely addresses such matters publicly, and this marks the first time since 2022 that he referenced corruption in his New Year greeting. Analysts suggest the remarks are intended to reassure party elites and signal internal discipline amid significant upheaval within the military leadership. Critics argue Xi’s anti-corruption campaigns also serve to consolidate power and eliminate rivals.

The purges have significantly reduced the seven-member Central Military Commission, now down to just two active members — one of them Xi himself.