China's latest round of military purges signals President Xi Jinping's intensifying campaign to ensure absolute loyalty within the People's Liberation Army, according to analysis published by Foreign Affairs. The removals, which have accelerated over the past year, serve dual purposes: rooting out corruption and enforcing political discipline ahead of potential military operations.
Xi has overseen the most extensive military purges since the post-Tiananmen period, removing dozens of senior officers including generals, admirals, and defense industry executives. The targets span all service branches—army, navy, air force, and the strategic rocket forces. The pattern suggests systematic vetting rather than ad hoc corruption investigations.
The purges operate through Xi's signature anti-corruption apparatus, which functions as both genuine graft enforcement and political loyalty mechanism. Chinese military procurement has historically involved substantial corruption—officers awarding contracts to connected suppliers, defense firms inflating costs, and officials diverting funds. Xi's campaign has uncovered real malfeasance. Yet anti-corruption also provides cover for removing politically unreliable officers regardless of actual wrongdoing.
What does this mean for PLA readiness? The answer is complex. In the short term, purges disrupt command continuity, demoralize officers uncertain of their standing, and create hesitation as officials avoid decisions that might draw scrutiny. Senior officers removed mid-career leave institutional knowledge gaps and force rapid promotions of less experienced replacements.
In the longer term, Xi aims to build a military that obeys without question. Previous PLA leadership maintained some autonomy from party control, with officers viewing themselves as professionals rather than purely political operatives. Xi is eliminating that distinction, demanding officers demonstrate political loyalty as the primary criterion for advancement. The goal is a force that will execute orders—including potentially costly operations like a Taiwan invasion—without hesitation or resistance.
Foreign observers debate whether this consolidation improves or degrades Chinese military capability. A politically reliable force may be more willing to fight, but excessive loyalty enforcement can discourage initiative, suppress dissent about flawed plans, and prioritize political credentials over tactical competence. Authoritarian militaries historically struggle with this tension.
The timing matters. If Beijing is seriously considering Taiwan scenarios within Xi's remaining tenure, ensuring PLA loyalty now becomes critical. A military leadership skeptical of invasion costs or uncertain of success could derail or delay operations. Xi appears determined to eliminate that possibility, accepting short-term readiness costs for long-term political control.
Chinese military purges also reflect lessons from Russia's difficulties in Ukraine. Russian forces suffered from corruption, poor logistics, and low morale—problems that became apparent only during actual combat. Xi likely views the purges as preventive maintenance, removing potential sources of failure before operations begin. Whether this succeeds or merely papers over deeper institutional problems remains uncertain.
