It didn't take long after the start of the year, and I never expected the anti-corruption actions within the PLA to be so significant! Just at the end of December last year, a large-scale military exercise around Taiwan was held, which was the most realistic one that came closest to the island of Taiwan. This year, the military has made such a major personnel move.

After the news broke out, it naturally drew great attention domestically, and the attention from foreign media can be said to be unprecedented. The Wall Street Journal in the United States, Sankei Shimbun in Japan, BBC in the UK, AFP in France, Deutsche Welle in Germany, and the Straits Times in Singapore all reported with prominent headlines.

In terms of rank, these two are the highest-ranking generals in the military, and their main responsibilities are not political work but combat operations. Especially the fall of Zhang Youxia has attracted even more attention.

When talking about Zhang Youxia, we cannot help but mention his father, the founding general Zhang Zongxun. Zhang Zongxun was born in 1908 and entered the famous Whampoa Military Academy at the age of 18, studying in the fifth class of the political department.

In 1927, he joined the Autumn Harvest Uprising led by Chairman Mao, and after the Sanwan Reorganization established the "absolute leadership of the Party over the army," Zhang Zongxun was responsible for guarding Chairman Mao, becoming his first bodyguard chief.

Later, Zhang Zongxun followed the troops to Jinggang Mountain, participated in the five counter-encirclement campaigns of the Central Soviet Area, and the Long March. During the Anti-Japanese War, Zhang Zongxun served as the commander of the 358th Brigade of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, participated in the Hundred Regiments Battle, and opened up the Jinxi Anti-Japanese Base Area.

During the Liberation War, Zhang Zongxun served as the deputy of General Peng Dehuai, as the deputy commander of the Northwest Field Army, participating in the battles of Qinghuabian, Yangmahan, Pianlongzhen, and later the liberation of the entire Northwest China. Obviously, from the family background, Zhang Youxia is a typical son of a military family.

Of course, although Zhang Youxia comes from a military family, his own military career started from the lowest level of soldier. In 1968, when he was nearly 19 years old, Zhang Youxia joined the army. However, his military career really shone during the Vietnam Self-Defense War.

In the 1979 Vietnam Self-Defense War, facing the situation where the Vietnamese forces were holding the mountainous terrain and repeatedly repelling frontal attacks with heavy casualties, Zhang Youxia, then a company commander, proposed a flanking surprise attack, leading his troops through dense forests without roads, attacking from behind to cooperate with the front-line strong assault, and capturing the position, earning merit.

In the 1984 Laoshan Campaign, as the regimental commander of the 119th Regiment, Zhang Youxia formulated a 40-minute combined infantry-artillery plan, efficiently capturing the Laoshan peak. In the subsequent Songmaoling defense battle, Zhang Youxia used one regiment to resist the counterattack of six Vietnamese regiments, relying on artillery fire and position coordination, killing over 3,000 enemies in three days, and received praise from General Ye.

Evidently, among the current senior officers of the PLA, Zhang Youxia is one of the few with practical combat experience, and it is no exaggeration to call him a tiger son of a military family.

After gaining fame on the battlefield, Zhang Youxia rose step by step, and since 2017, he has served as the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. According to the principle of using people according to their abilities, Zhang Youxia, who inherited the glory of his ancestors, was promoted to the rank of general, and should have been diligent and dedicated, loyal to the country and the people.

However, this high-ranking military officer with a red military family background and who had experienced real combat, instead abandoned his original aspirations and mission, ignored the iron discipline of the army, lost his way after reaching a high position, touched the legal and disciplinary red line, and finally ended up being investigated and placed under review. His fate of falling into disgrace must have left him deeply regretful.

Facts prove that the country's anti-corruption and style improvement efforts have no禁区 (no areas), and there is no special treatment. Past achievements and family background are certainly not a shield against corruption, and no one has an iron certificate or a golden ticket to escape punishment.

Removing such high-ranking officials will surely trigger some domestic and international discussions, and there may be some turbulence within the military. However, to build a powerful and capable army, we must use iron discipline and strict measures. As the saying goes, "To govern the army, first govern the generals." If the top beam is straight, the lower beam won't be crooked.

The current international situation is not peaceful. Whether it's the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea, external forces always try to create disturbances, undermining our peaceful development. An army with excellent conduct is undoubtedly our greatest confidence in facing internal and external challenges.

By removing the troublemakers from the ranks, the military atmosphere can be rectified, and harmony between superiors and subordinates can be achieved, like a hand and arm working together, with everyone united in heart. Such in-depth, comprehensive, and thorough anti-corruption efforts require great determination, bold moves, and an iron-fisted approach along with a high sense of historical mission. Obviously, removing the mud and filth is to sharpen the edge of the PLA's sword, which is a major matter.

(End of article)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7599175495120421414/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.