China has removed three lawmakers with links to the defence sector, state media reported Wednesday, following an investigation into the country’s top general as Beijing pushes to modernize its military.

Xinhua did not provide a reason for the dismissals, nor did it indicate whether the lawmakers—connected to the defence, aerospace, and nuclear industries—were under investigation themselves.

As part of President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, China’s defence ministry announced on January 24 that it was investigating General Zhang Youxia, the second-highest-ranking officer in China’s military, for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law.”

The probe of Zhang, a key Xi ally, removes a well-known point of contact for the United States, which has worked for decades to maintain high-level ties with Chinese military leaders to prevent miscalculations between the world’s two largest militaries.

The dismissed lawmakers are:

• Zhou Xinmin, former head of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), which produces the majority of China’s military aircraft and drones.

• Liu Cangli, a longtime nuclear-weapons researcher who led the China Academy of Engineering Physics from 2015 to 2024.

• Luo Qi, chief engineer at state-owned nuclear-power giant China National Nuclear Corp.

The provincial governments responsible for the dismissals did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The announcement comes a month before China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress, convenes for its annual session, which marks the start of the Communist Party’s five-year planning cycle.

Xi aims for China, the world’s second-largest military spender after the U.S., to achieve full military modernization by 2035. However, the U.S. Pentagon has warned that corruption within the ranks could slow progress toward that goal.

Zhou was appointed AVIC chairman in March 2024, but his name has since been removed from the company’s website. The day before his dismissal, AVIC held an anti-corruption meeting, according to social media posts. Zhou previously held a top executive role at Shanghai-based aircraft maker COMAC. Former AVIC head Tan Ruisong was expelled from the Communist Party for corruption in February 2025.

Liu, who conducted nuclear weapons research for decades, was also a member of the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, according to his professional biography.