China NPC Standing Committee Removes Top Military Leaders From State CMC

China's top legislative body, the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, approved the removal of Zhang Youxia as Vice Chairman of the state Central Military Commission and Liu Zhenli as a member of the commission. The decision was formally adopted on August 28, 2026, during the committee's 24th session in Beijing, according to official notices carried by state media.

The Central Military Commission represents China's supreme military command structure. Changes to its vice-chairmanship and committee membership mark notable high-level leadership adjustments within the nation's armed forces.

China's top legislative body has formally approved the removal of two senior military officials from their state-level defense leadership posts, according to official notices published by state media. The decision was adopted on August 28, 2026, during the 24th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing. According to the authorized text released by Xinhua News Agency and carried by People's Daily as well as the Ministry of National Defense, the Standing Committee removed Zhang Youxia from his post as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People's Republic of China. In the same legislative decision, the committee also removed Liu Zhenli from his post as a Member of the state Central Military Commission. The brief official announcement issued through central channels was limited strictly to the formal legal decree of removal. It did not provide explanatory details regarding the background of the decisions, nor did it announce immediate replacements for the vacated positions on the state military organ. Under the Chinese constitutional system, the state Central Military Commission directs the nation's armed forces, with its top leadership formally appointed and removed by the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee. The state military commission functions in tandem with the Communist Party of China's Central Military Commission, with both bodies traditionally sharing identical membership to maintain unified command over the People's Liberation Army. Holding the rank of CMC Vice Chairman, Zhang Youxia occupied one of the highest-ranking operational and administrative positions in the Chinese defense apparatus beneath the CMC Chairman. Liu Zhenli served alongside him as an appointed member of the commission. Following the legislative action, defense analysts and observers will be watching closely for future official personnel bulletins to determine subsequent appointments and clarify the broader institutional alignment within China's military leadership.