China's Xi makes rare public reference to recent military purges

BEIJING, Feb 11 (Reuters) - China's military has grown stronger in the past year in its fight against corruption, President Xi Jinping told the Chinese armed forces on Wednesday, making a rare public reference to the anti-graft probes that have befallen the country's top generals.

China's two highest-ranked generals have been ensnared in disciplinary probes, with He Weidong expelled in October last year and Zhang Youxia placed under investigation in January, marking one of the most high-profile purges of the Chinese military in decades.

"The past year has been unusual and extraordinary," Xi told the military in a virtual address. "The People's Army has deepened its political re-education, effectively addressed various risks and challenges, and undergone revolutionary forging in the fight against corruption."