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Zhang Youxia

The latest news on Chinese politician Zhang Youxia, including political stories and updates.

Born

Jul 1950

Industry

Politics, Military

Job Title

Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China

In his first visit to Russia in two years, Zhang Youxia, China’s top general, has signalled a continued strengthening of defence ties between the two countries. Photo: Sputnik

China-Russia relations

Missile defence in focus as China, Russia generals pledge deeper cooperation

Zhang Youxia and Russian counterpart discuss collaboration ‘blueprint’ in Moscow as US pushes Golden Dome, nuclear weapons testing.

21 Nov 2025 - 7:32PMvideocam

China’s fourth plenum

How Xi’s ongoing battle against PLA corruption shapes China’s military future

14 Nov 2025 - 9:54AMvideocam

China’s fourth plenum

PLA urged to ‘live a tight life’ as top officials elaborate on 5-year plan

6 Nov 2025 - 5:00AM

China’s fourth plenum

China’s top general vows to crack down on ‘fake loyalty’ and ‘two-faced men’

Zhang Youxia calls for military to eliminate ‘poisonous influences and long-standing problems’ and to accelerate weapons development.

5 Nov 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

China’s military

China will work with Singapore on regional stability, top military officer says

Beijing’s most senior general meets the Singaporean defence minister on the sidelines of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum.

18 Sep 2025 - 4:38AM

China's military weapons

Will Chinese Z-10ME attack helicopters now power Pakistan’s military?

Social media posts suggest Pakistan has received a shipment of advanced aircraft similar to helicopter China has deployed near Indian border.

2 Aug 2025 - 10:00PM

China's military weapons

Indonesia considers buying Chinese J-10 jets that played lead role in Kashmir

The country’s deputy defence minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto said the planes ‘meet our criteria and are affordable’.

5 Jun 2025 - 7:30PMvideocam

Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighter jets. Photo: AFP

Corruption in China

Chinese military leaders urge war readiness ahead of Lunar New Year

During visits to PLA units, top-ranked CMC vice-chairmen pledge to fight corruption and strengthen combat abilities.

27 Jan 2025 - 6:09PM

China’s military drills

China and Pakistan talk security as they target terrorism against belt and road

Top Chinese military official meets Pakistani counterpart in wake of attacks against Chinese interests in the South Asian country.

28 Nov 2024 - 11:40PMvideocam

China’s military

China, Saudi military cooperation on ‘fast track’ as top defence officials meet

Riyadh’s Khalid bin Salman holds meetings with China’s top generals during relations-building visit to Beijing.

26 Jun 2024 - 5:44PM

China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun welcomes his Saudi counterpart Prince Khalid bin Salman to Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: X/@modgovksa

Two Sessions 2024

Chinese general calls for crackdown on ‘fake combat capabilities’ in military

He Weidong’s message seen to be related to weapons procurement and problems with training.

11 Mar 2024 - 5:47PMvideocam

107

General He Weidong, China’s No 3 military official, took aim at “fake combat capabilities”. Photo: CCTV

Science

Does China need a data bureau to support its ever-growing satellite networks?

A CPPCC member has suggested the creation of an agency to coordinate information being gathered by the devices.

8 Mar 2024 - 6:00PMvideocam

China’s military

How Beijing-hosted navy forum could take China-US military ties to a new level

The Western Pacific Naval Symposium will be held in Qingdao in April, the first time China has hosted for a decade.

1 Feb 2024 - 9:50AMvideocam

China’s military

Chinese warships visit controversial Cambodian naval base for joint exercise

The vessels pictured at the Ream naval base are the first foreign warships known to have used a new facility built with the help of China.

6 Dec 2023 - 6:59PM

Cambodia’s defence minister posted pictures of the two ships at the Ream naval base on social media on Sunday. Photo: Facebook/Tea Seiha

US-China relations

Apec summit: risks of upset to ‘fragile stability’ as Xi, Biden prepare to meet

Both sides face multiple potential flashpoints with uncertainty likely to continue for ‘a very, very long time’, one analyst says

14 Nov 2023 - 2:51AMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | US-China thaw raises hopes for military dialogue breakthrough

Top-level US-China military communication was halted after Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last year. But there are now signs of a breakthrough, with concrete action towards renewed defence relations.

13 Nov 2023 - 5:30AMvideocam

China-Russia relations

China admires Russia’s resilience, top PLA general tells Putin

General Zhang Youxia became the most senior PLA figure to visit since Russia was sanctioned over its invasion of Ukraine.

9 Nov 2023 - 11:24PM

Russia

Putin seeks cooperation with China on military satellites, prospective weapons

The Russian leader’s comments were made during a visit by General Zhang Youxia, China’s No 2 military official and vice-chair of the Central Military Commission.

9 Nov 2023 - 4:02AMvideocam

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on Wednesday. Photo: Sputnik via Reuters

China’s military

Security conference delegates suggest ways for US and China to build trust

Former Pentagon official Chad Sbragia suggests that Beijing should recognise other countries such as Japan have their own legitimate security concerns.

3 Nov 2023 - 7:10PMvideocam

China’s military

Lloyd Austin’s absence at Xiangshan Forum a missed opportunity: Chinese general

US defence secretary could have met top PLA brass – and maybe even President Xi Jinping – while resuming long-stalled senior military dialogues at security conference in Beijing, says Lieutenant General He Lei.

31 Oct 2023 - 10:11PMvideocam

China’s military

Russia’s defence chief hails China ties, warns Nato expansion has nuclear risks

At the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu says Beijing-Moscow relations are growing in allure as a model for ‘circle of friends’ and ‘like-minded’ countries.

30 Oct 2023 - 6:05PMvideocam

Russian defence chief Sergei Shoigu is heading Russia’s delegation to the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a three-day security conference in the Chinese capital. Photo: AP Photo

China’s military

PLA will ‘show no mercy’ against Taiwan independence moves, top general says

At Beijing Xiangshan Forum, CMC vice-chairman Zhang Youxia also takes a thinly veiled swipe at the US, saying a ‘certain country’ is interfering in the region and internal affairs of other nations.

30 Oct 2023 - 6:42PMvideocam

Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of the CMC, told the forum that Taiwan is the “core of China’s core interests”. Photo: AFP

China’s military

Questions cloud prospects for Xi-Biden Apec talks, ex-envoy tells defence forum

Hopes for a meeting between the two presidents depend on open communication between senior officials, former Chinese envoy Cui Tiankai says.

30 Oct 2023 - 1:23AMvideocam

China’s military

Why Beijing Xiangshan Forum is where war-torn Global South can find solutions

Arrival of delegations from sworn enemies Armenia and Azerbaijan at Beijing Xiangshan Forum shows the Global South is looking at China for regional security solutions, defence expert says.

29 Oct 2023 - 9:12PMvideocam

China’s military

Explainer | Why the role of Chinese defence minister isn’t exactly what it sounds like

China’s first few defence ministers enjoyed more influence and much higher profiles.

25 Oct 2023 - 9:45PMvideocam

Li Shangfu (right), who was stripped of his role as defence minister and his membership in the Central Military Commission, was the fourth highest ranking member in the seven-seat body, behind President Xi Jinping and the commission’s deputy chairman, Zhang Youxia. Photo: Pool via Reuters

China’s military

Did China’s top general signal a restart in Beijing’s military diplomacy?

Zhang Youxia, China’s most senior military officer, met Serbia’s defence chief in a sign that the country’s military diplomacy could be normalising.

19 Oct 2023 - 6:46PMvideocam

China’s Central Military Commission’s first vice-chairman, General Zhang Youxia (right), meets Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Milos Vucevic on Tuesday in Beijing. Photo: Handout

China’s military

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu not at meeting, continuing public absence

Li, one of three officials who do not attend a meeting of the Central Military Commission, has not been seen since August 29, when he spoke at the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing.

16 Sep 2023 - 7:42PMvideocam

China’s military

‘Quality of weapons top priority’ in complex world: Chinese general to top brass

Call from Zhang Youxia, first vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission headed by President Xi Jinping, comes a month after PLA Rocket Force shake-up.

30 Aug 2023 - 11:28PMvideocam

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Zhang Youxia

Missile defence in focus as China, Russia generals pledge deeper cooperation

Zhang Youxia and Russian counterpart discuss collaboration ‘blueprint’ in Moscow as US pushes Golden Dome, nuclear weapons testing.

How Xi’s ongoing battle against PLA corruption shapes China’s military future

PLA urged to ‘live a tight life’ as top officials elaborate on 5-year plan

China’s top general vows to crack down on ‘fake loyalty’ and ‘two-faced men’

Zhang Youxia calls for military to eliminate ‘poisonous influences and long-standing problems’ and to accelerate weapons development.

China will work with Singapore on regional stability, top military officer says

Beijing’s most senior general meets the Singaporean defence minister on the sidelines of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum.

Will Chinese Z-10ME attack helicopters now power Pakistan’s military?

Social media posts suggest Pakistan has received a shipment of advanced aircraft similar to helicopter China has deployed near Indian border.

Indonesia considers buying Chinese J-10 jets that played lead role in Kashmir

The country’s deputy defence minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto said the planes ‘meet our criteria and are affordable’.

Chinese military leaders urge war readiness ahead of Lunar New Year

During visits to PLA units, top-ranked CMC vice-chairmen pledge to fight corruption and strengthen combat abilities.

China and Pakistan talk security as they target terrorism against belt and road

Top Chinese military official meets Pakistani counterpart in wake of attacks against Chinese interests in the South Asian country.

China, Saudi military cooperation on ‘fast track’ as top defence officials meet

Riyadh’s Khalid bin Salman holds meetings with China’s top generals during relations-building visit to Beijing.

Chinese general calls for crackdown on ‘fake combat capabilities’ in military

He Weidong’s message seen to be related to weapons procurement and problems with training.

Does China need a data bureau to support its ever-growing satellite networks?

A CPPCC member has suggested the creation of an agency to coordinate information being gathered by the devices.

How Beijing-hosted navy forum could take China-US military ties to a new level

The Western Pacific Naval Symposium will be held in Qingdao in April, the first time China has hosted for a decade.

Chinese warships visit controversial Cambodian naval base for joint exercise

The vessels pictured at the Ream naval base are the first foreign warships known to have used a new facility built with the help of China.

Apec summit: risks of upset to ‘fragile stability’ as Xi, Biden prepare to meet

Both sides face multiple potential flashpoints with uncertainty likely to continue for ‘a very, very long time’, one analyst says

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | US-China thaw raises hopes for military dialogue breakthrough

Top-level US-China military communication was halted after Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last year. But there are now signs of a breakthrough, with concrete action towards renewed defence relations.

China admires Russia’s resilience, top PLA general tells Putin

General Zhang Youxia became the most senior PLA figure to visit since Russia was sanctioned over its invasion of Ukraine.

Putin seeks cooperation with China on military satellites, prospective weapons

The Russian leader’s comments were made during a visit by General Zhang Youxia, China’s No 2 military official and vice-chair of the Central Military Commission.

Security conference delegates suggest ways for US and China to build trust

Former Pentagon official Chad Sbragia suggests that Beijing should recognise other countries such as Japan have their own legitimate security concerns.

Lloyd Austin’s absence at Xiangshan Forum a missed opportunity: Chinese general

US defence secretary could have met top PLA brass – and maybe even President Xi Jinping – while resuming long-stalled senior military dialogues at security conference in Beijing, says Lieutenant General He Lei.

Russia’s defence chief hails China ties, warns Nato expansion has nuclear risks

At the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu says Beijing-Moscow relations are growing in allure as a model for ‘circle of friends’ and ‘like-minded’ countries.

PLA will ‘show no mercy’ against Taiwan independence moves, top general says

At Beijing Xiangshan Forum, CMC vice-chairman Zhang Youxia also takes a thinly veiled swipe at the US, saying a ‘certain country’ is interfering in the region and internal affairs of other nations.

Questions cloud prospects for Xi-Biden Apec talks, ex-envoy tells defence forum

Hopes for a meeting between the two presidents depend on open communication between senior officials, former Chinese envoy Cui Tiankai says.

Why Beijing Xiangshan Forum is where war-torn Global South can find solutions

Arrival of delegations from sworn enemies Armenia and Azerbaijan at Beijing Xiangshan Forum shows the Global South is looking at China for regional security solutions, defence expert says.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Explainer | Why the role of Chinese defence minister isn’t exactly what it sounds like

China’s first few defence ministers enjoyed more influence and much higher profiles.

Did China’s top general signal a restart in Beijing’s military diplomacy?

Zhang Youxia, China’s most senior military officer, met Serbia’s defence chief in a sign that the country’s military diplomacy could be normalising.

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu not at meeting, continuing public absence

Li, one of three officials who do not attend a meeting of the Central Military Commission, has not been seen since August 29, when he spoke at the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing.

‘Quality of weapons top priority’ in complex world: Chinese general to top brass

Call from Zhang Youxia, first vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission headed by President Xi Jinping, comes a month after PLA Rocket Force shake-up.

Opinion | US-China thaw raises hopes for military dialogue breakthrough

Explainer | Why the role of Chinese defence minister isn’t exactly what it sounds like