Xi Tightened Grip on Beijing Garrison Before Purge of Senior Military Leaders

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Feb 7, 2026 - 11:00 Updated: Feb 7, 2026 - 10:53
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Xi Tightened Grip on Beijing Garrison Before Purge of Senior Military Leaders

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China’s leadership has quietly filled a long-vacant command post overseeing the capital’s security weeks before two senior military figures were abruptly purged. This unusual personnel move may signal advance preparations for an internal power struggle, analysts told The Epoch Times

In early January, Chen Yuan, previously commander of the Shanghai Armed Police Corps, was transferred to a leadership role in the Beijing Garrison Command, a strategically vital unit responsible for safeguarding the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) core political institutions. The post had been vacant for nearly a year.

Less than two weeks later, on Jan. 24, Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and Liu Zhenli, another senior CMC member, were removed from their posts. The timing of Chen’s arrival has since drawn intense scrutiny.

A Unit Under Xi 

The CCP’s official propaganda newspaper for the capital city, Beijing Daily, reported that Chen appeared publicly on Jan. 14 as a senior leader of the Beijing Garrison at a Party committee meeting. Although the report did not disclose his exact title, convention suggests he was appointed commander.

Chen, 53, is a career officer in the People’s Armed Police (PAP) system rather than the regular army—a notable detail in itself. Born in Dongtai, Jiangsu Province, he previously served as commander of PAP units in Guangxi and Shanghai, and was promoted to major general in 2021.

The Beijing Garrison occupies a unique position in the CCP’s security apparatus. Often described as the regime’s “imperial guard,” it is tasked with protecting Zhongnanhai, the CCP’s leadership compound, and is widely believed to play a critical role in regime survival during internal crises.

Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, leadership turnover at the Beijing Garrison has been unusually frequent. Nearly 10 commanders or political commissars have rotated through the unit over the past decade—far more than historical norms.

Chen’s predecessor, Fu Wenhua, had longstanding ties to Zhang, having served under him in the former Shenyang Military Region. Fu was promoted in 2025 and later reassigned, after which the commander position remained conspicuously vacant.

Zhang and Liu disappeared from public view after missing a key Party conference on Jan. 20. Insiders have described heightened security in Beijing and a physical altercation between Zhang’s security detail and on-site personnel who arrested him.

Analysts say Chen’s sudden appointment in Beijing before the alleged arrests is significant.

Su Tzu-yun, director of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, recently told The Epoch Times that Chen’s appointment suggests advance planning ahead of the purge.

He said that if Chen was already in place by Jan. 14 and Zhang was detained days later, that strongly implies prior arrangements. When dealing with someone at Zhang’s level, Xi would not move without first securing the Beijing Garrison with someone he trusts, Su said.

Mark Cao—a U.S.-based military tech analyst, former materials engineer, and host of Chinese-language military news YouTube channel Mark Space—told The Epoch Times that the appointment was only publicly disclosed after Zhang and Liu had already fallen.

“This suggests that Xi Jinping ensured control of Beijing’s key armed forces before acting,” he said.

Chen is not without controversy. As Shanghai PAP commander, he was in charge when former Premier Li Keqiang died suddenly in Shanghai in October 2023. Cao said that while any claims linking Chen to Li’s death remain unsubstantiated, Chen’s subsequent promotion—rather than punishment—may itself have been interpreted inside the system as a sign of Xi’s confidence in his loyalty.

Factional Struggle Behind the Scenes

Shen Ming-Shih, a research fellow at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told The Epoch Times that the Beijing Garrison reshuffle reflects a factional realignment because the previous commander was close to Zhang Youxia.
According to Chinese state-controlled media outlet Caixin, similar leadership changes have recently occurred across multiple provincial military districts—many involving cross-branch appointments that break traditional patterns.

Shen said the scale of the reshuffle indicates Xi is rapidly dismantling Zhang’s patronage system.

“But it also means morale inside the CCP’s military remains unstable,” he added, “which could delay any near-term plans to use force against Taiwan.”
Australian-based Chinese dissident and legal scholar Yuan Hongbing told The Epoch Times that Xi’s leadership style is driven by deep suspicion and paranoia. He pointed out that once the current purge cycle concludes and the military leadership structure is rebuilt, further crackdowns are likely to follow.
Yuan said that sooner or later, the next round of purges will inevitably erupt.
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Ning Haizhong and Luo Ya contributed to this report. 
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