China’s top general has been accused of leaking nuclear secrets to the US and accepting bribes as President Xi Jinping purges the country’s senior military leadership.
General Zhang Youxia, 75, once considered one of Xi’s most-trusted military allies, allegedly leaked core technical data on China’s nuclear weapons to the US, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Zhang, the first-ranked vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was officially placed under investigation on Saturday.
He was detained by military corruption investigators earlier this week, according to reports from Chinese outlets.
President Xi has reportedly sent a special task force to Shenyang in northeast China, where Zhang was previously stationed.
Xi’s task force is staying in local hotels rather than military bases, where Zhang may have a network of support, the Journal reported.
As well as leaking nuclear weapons secrets, the general is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for official promotions, before leaking the technical information to the CIA for personal gain, according to the outlet.
Chinese state media accused Zhang and fellow People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Liu Zhenli of “threatening the Communist Party’s absolute leadership,” as well as “undermining the system of ultimate responsibility,” which rests with President Xi.
In addition to being one of Xi’s most trusted military allies, Zhang comes from a long line of communist heroes, with a decades-old connection to the president’s family dating back to the Chinese Civil War.
The investigation into Zhang follows a year of chaos in the PLA Rocket Force, which manages Beijing’s nuclear triad.
This week’s purge is seen as the biggest military overhaul in China since 1971, when Chinese Communist Party Vice Chairman Lin Biao tried to launch a coup against Chairman Mao.
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