About this episode

This episode discusses the downfall of General Zhang Youxia and its implications for Chinese politics and military leadership.

In this episode of The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast, Ankit Panda and Katie Putz discuss the recent downfall of General Zhang Youxia, a significant figure in China's military leadership. They explore the implications of his removal, the allegations of corruption and espionage, and how this reflects broader trends in Chinese politics under Xi Jinping. For more on the intrigues of China’s military purges, check out Zi Yang’s recent article for The Diplomat, “ The Purge of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli: Why and What’s Next for China’s Military ” and his October 2025 article, “ What Does the Fall of He Weidong Mean for the PLA? ”

People in this episode

Host: Ankit Panda

Guest: Katie Putz

Topics covered

• Chinese military
• political purges
• corruption
• espionage
• Xi Jinping
• Zhang Youxia

Keywords

• Zhang Youxia
• Xi Jinping
• Chinese politics
• military leadership
• corruption
• espionage
• political purges

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Diplomat

Books & works: The Purge of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli: Why and What’s Next for China’s Military, What Does the Fall of He Weidong Mean for the PLA?

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