Zhang Youxia, born in July 1950 in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, is a Chinese general in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) who joined in December 1968 as a soldier in the 119th Regiment, 40th Division, 14th Army.[1][4][6] He rose through the ranks during combat operations, including the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War and the 1984 Battle of Laoshan, earning promotions to battalion-level training head, regimental chief of staff, and regimental commander.[1][2][4] His career progressed steadily: deputy commander of the 40th Division (1984-1990), commander of the same division (1990-1994), deputy commander (1994-2000) and then commander (2000-2005) of the 13th Group Army, deputy commander of the Beijing Military Region (2005-2007), and commander of the Shenyang Military Region (2007-2012).[1][2][4] He studied at the PLA Military Academy (1984-1987) and National University of Defense Technology.[1][2] Promoted to major general in 1997, lieutenant general in 2007, and general in 2011, Zhang directed the PLA General Equipment Department (2012-2016) and Equipment Development Department (2016-2017), overseeing China's human spaceflight program, including Shenzhou 10.[1][2][4] Since 2017, he has served as first-ranked vice chairman of both the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Military Commission (CMC) and the People's Republic of China CMC, a Political Bureau member since 2017, and full Central Committee member since 2007.[1][2][4] Known for wartime experience rare among senior PLA officers and ties to military reforms, he emphasized party loyalty, anti-corruption, and defense capabilities in recent speeches.[3] As of January 24, 2026, Zhang faces investigation for severe violations of party discipline and state laws, announced by the Defense Ministry, marking the highest-level PLA probe since the Tiananmen era; Gen. Liu Zhenli is also implicated.[5]