Zhang Youxia, longtime vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was placed under formal investigation in January 2026 for serious violations of discipline and law, including corruption, failure to control associates, and undermining the CMC chairman responsibility system. This marked the culmination of Xi Jinping’s extended PLA anti-corruption campaign, which has removed multiple senior officers since 2023. He was detained earlier that month and has remained out of public view, with reports citing internal briefings on alleged bribery and political factionalism. As of late August 2026, no military court has announced charges, a trial, or sentencing, even as other purged figures such as former defense ministers received suspended death sentences (effectively life imprisonment) in May. Elite disciplinary processes in China often involve extended internal reviews before any public criminal outcome, and Zhang’s advanced age further narrows likely penalties. These factors sustain trader consensus that formal imprisonment before 2027 remains improbable.