A top general in China’s military, 75-year-old General Zhang Yuxia, is accused of passing classified information about the country’s nuclear program to Washington. According to the Wall Street Journal, he is also charged with accepting bribes in exchange for promoting a high-ranking officer to the post of defense minister.
China’s Defense Ministry said that Zhang is suspected of serious violations of discipline and the law but did not provide further details.
The evidence against the general was presented by Gu Jun, the former head of the China National Nuclear Corporation, who is himself facing another case. Zhang is also accused of forming political groups.
This is reportedly the most extensive purge in the Chinese military since the time of Mao Zedong. All commanders appointed in 2022 have been removed from the Central Military Commission. Now only two members remain on the commission: Xi Jinping and the head of the anti-corruption campaign.
