The ministry did not provide further details about the allegations against the general, but in the Chinese political context the wording of misconduct is most often used as a euphemism for corruption, according to the BBC.
In the same statement, it was confirmed that another high-ranking military officer, General Liu Zhenli, is also under investigation. The investigations come after nine high-ranking generals were removed from the military in October, in what is seen as one of the biggest public crackdowns on China’s military leadership in decades.
Zhang Youxija is 75 years old and serves as the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest military body run by the Chinese Communist Party and headed by President Xi Jinping. Zhang is also a member of the Politburo, the party’s highest decision-making body, which has 24 members. His father was one of the founding generals of the Chinese Communist Party.
Zhang joined the Chinese military in 1968 and is one of the few senior military officials with combat experience. He remained in office past the normal retirement age in the People’s Liberation Army, which has so far been interpreted as a sign of President Xi’s strong confidence.
The announcement of the investigation came days after speculation emerged in Chinese and international media that Zhang and Liu could be under investigation after they failed to attend a high-profile state event in December, which was interpreted in political circles as a possible sign of a fall from grace.
(Vijesti.ba)
