Xi Jinping seeks 'total control' of military with purges, says US envoy David Perdue

BEIJING: The top US diplomat in China said President Xi Jinping's purge of one of his most senior generals is aimed at securing "total control" of the military while also rooting out corruption.

Ambassador David Perdue told Bloomberg Television the probe into Zhang Youxia, announced over the weekend, is a "major development," citing the family connections the vice chair of China's apex military commission has with Xi. Chinese authorities said Zhang is being investigated for suspected serious discipline and law violations, without providing further details.

"I take him at his word that there's a corruption effort underway, that he's trying to correct decades of corruption inside the military," Perdue said Tuesday on the sidelines of a Goldman Sachs conference in Hong Kong, referring to Xi.


"I do believe President Xi is trying to do that. On the other hand, I think he's making sure that he has total control of his military," he said, adding the US is tracking developments closely.

Perdue declined to directly answer a question about a Wall Street Journal report alleging Zhang leaked secrets about China's nuclear weapons program to the US. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday he was not familiar with the matter when asked at a regular press briefing.