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According to China Central Television (CCTV), Zhang Youxia, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, a member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, are suspected of serious violations of discipline and law. Following deliberation by the CPC Central Committee, it has been decided to initiate an investigation into their cases for review and scrutiny.

According to publicly available information, Zhang Youxia is 76 years old this year. He enlisted in the military at the age of 18 and participated in the Sino-Vietnamese border war in 1979, where his outstanding performance led to his promotion to regimental chief of staff. In 1984, when the Laoshan Campaign erupted on the Sino-Vietnamese border, Zhang Youxia, then the commander of the 119th Regiment of the 40th Division under the 14th Army, led his troops into battle. Following the campaign, the 119th Regiment was awarded a Collective First-Class Merit by the Kunming Military Region, and Zhang Youxia was promoted to deputy commander and later commander of the 40th Division.

Starting in 2000, Zhang Youxia successively served as Commander of the 13th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Deputy Commander of the Beijing Military Region, and Commander of the Shenyang Military Region. In 2012, he was appointed Minister of the PLA General Armaments Department. In 2015, he became the first Minister of the newly established Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission. Following the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2017, he was appointed a member of the Political Bureau and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and was re-elected to these positions at the 20th CPC National Congress in 2022. Zhang Youxia's father was Zhang Zongxun, a founding senior general of the People's Republic of China.

Liu Zhenli is 62 years old this year. He joined the military in 1983 and, in 1986, participated in a Sino-Vietnamese border conflict as a scout, for which he was awarded a First-Class Combat Merit. Subsequently, within the PLA's elite 38th Group Army, Liu advanced through the ranks from platoon leader to division commander of a mechanized infantry division.

In 2012, Liu Zhenli assumed the position of Commander of the 65th Group Army of the Army. In 2014, he returned to the 38th Group Army as its Commander. In 2015, he was promoted to Chief of Staff of the People's Armed Police Force, attaining the rank of a deputy theater-level senior officer.

By the end of 2015, Liu Zhenli was appointed the first Chief of Staff of the newly established PLA Army. In June 2021, he was promoted to Commander of the Army, and in July of the same year, he was promoted to the rank of general.

Following the 20th CPC National Congress in October 2022, Liu Zhenli was elected as a member of the new Central Committee and the Central Military Commission. In March 2023, he was appointed Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission.