Washington DC - Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said that the US is watching developments in China closely after Beijing removed a top general amidst a brutal crackdown on corruption in the military.

Chinese authorities announced on Saturday that Zhang Youxia, the senior vice chairman of its powerful Central Military Commission, and another senior official, General Liu Zhenli, were being removed from their positions.

Both have been put under investigation for "serious violations of discipline" and corruption, though the Chinese government has not revealed the specific charges they face.

Since entering office in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched sweeping crackdowns and roundups of top government officials and military brass under the guise of cracking down on corruption.

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During testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Rubio said that the firing of the general was "part of a pattern we've seen over the last few years, which is a purge in their military."

"They're spending a lot of money on their military, and obviously some of these guys are stealing that money, and they're trying to address that," Rubio said.

"It's an issue internally in their system," he continued. "They're obviously not sharing with us or talking to us in depth about any of that, but it's certainly something we watch with interest."

It's impossible to know the true extent of China's problem with corruption, but the removal of Zhang Youxia serves to further solidify Xi's power over the Central Military Commission (CMS), which is responsible for millions of military personnel.