Xi's right-hand man, General Zhang Youxia, is suspected of passing nuclear secrets to the United States

Zhang Yuxia, deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission and a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, is suspected of transferring key technical data on Chinese nuclear weapons to the United States. It is reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing sources.

The general is also accused of bribery.

"A high-ranking Chinese general is accused of leaking information about the country's nuclear program to the United States and receiving bribes for official actions, including the promotion of an officer to the Minister of Defense (we are talking about former Defense Minister Li Shangfu. — EADaily), sources said," the publication says.

The accusations against the general were reported at a briefing on Saturday, which was attended by a number of the most senior military officers. According to the WSJ, part of the evidence of Zhang Yuxia's guilt was obtained from the former CEO of the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation. Exactly what information about Chinese nuclear weapons was transmitted was not specified at the briefing, the sources of the publication noted.

On the eve of the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced the launch of investigations into Zhang Yuxia and the head of the Joint Staff of the Central Military District Liu Zhenli. The agency did not disclose the details of the criminal cases, only noting that both high-ranking officials are suspected of "serious violations of discipline and the law."

Zhang Yuxia has been considered a confidant of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his right-hand man for many years. After the arrest, only two people remained in the Central Exhibition Center — Xi himself and Zhang Shengmin, who heads the anti-corruption committee. This is an unprecedented situation for the body leading the country's army. As the Financial Times wrote earlier, the operational command The Chinese Armed Forces have now de facto passed into the hands of Xi Jinping.