China's top general removed after 'leaking nuclear secrets to US' amid World War 3 fears
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty
China is reportedly making major changes to its military leadership after a top general was accused of bribery and leaking information.
While the US and China often engage in profitable trade, there is still an ongoing tension between the two nations when it comes to military matters.
Both countries tend to boast of their military might, seemingly in hopes of deterring the other from ever considering a strike or invasion.
Much of the fear and power is attached to the nuclear programs, something the two countries take extra care to not disclose.
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However, one of China’s most senior officials has been accused of leaking 'core technical data' to the US about China’s nuclear-weapons program.
75-year-old General Zhang Youxia was considered one of President Xi Jinping’s closest military allies and now faces an investigation and ousting.
On Saturday (January 24), a spokesman for China’s Defense Ministry confirmed that Zhang was being investigated for allegedly committing 'severe violations of party discipline and state laws', according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Further details claim that Zhang was placed under investigation for allegedly 'forming political cliques, a phrase describing efforts to build networks of influence that undermine party unity, and abusing his authority within the Communist Party’s top military decision-making body, known as the Central Military Commission'.
The spokesman at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, told the Wall Street Journal that the investigation emphasizes that leadership maintains a 'full-coverage, zero-tolerance approach to combating corruption'.
Zhang being ousted has also been tied to his promotion of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu, with accusations claiming that he helped elevate Li in exchange for bribes.
This tension and shifting within the Chinese military comes at a time when fears remain high that China will consider invading Taiwan, the self-governing island that China has publicly claimed belongs to it.
China has previously threatened to take it by force, despite one of Taiwan’s biggest allies being America. Ultimately, playing into the fear that a world conflict could be sparked if Taiwan is invaded.
Taiwan has confirmed that it was aware of changes to China’s military.
The country’s defense minister, Wellington Koo, said: "We will continue to closely monitor abnormal changes among the top levels of China’s government, and military leadership.
"The military’s position is based on the fact that China has never abandoned the use of force against Taiwan."