China’s drive to modernize its military to rival the US armed forces is running parallel with an aggressive purge of its senior leaders.
The People’s Liberation Army has been repeatedly shaken by a massive anti-corruption campaign led by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Now, the military leadership is under renewed scrutiny after one of China’s most senior generals was placed under investigation.
The latest disruptions within the PLA, the world’s largest military and one of its most powerful, raise questions about who is leading the force and how the shake-ups are affecting the military as an organization and impacting readiness.
This past weekend, China’s defense ministry announced investigations into Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, the chief of staff of the commission’s joint staff department. Zhang was widely believed to be one of Xi’s trusted military advisors.
An editorial published in official PLA media said the two had “seriously betrayed the trust and expectations” of both the Communist Party and the CMC and “fostered political and corruption problems that undermined the party’s absolute leadership over the military and threatened the party’s ruling foundation.”
Analysts Business Insider spoke with said the accusations suggested more than just financial corruption, which has been the case for others. Rather, the language indicates Zhang and Liu challenged Xi’s authority, whether through disagreements on modernization goals, failures to meet expectations, or power and influence struggles within the ranks. The reasons may never be known, as China’s “black box” opacity increasingly blurs realities inside its government.
A report from the Wall Street Journal raised the possibility Zhang leaked nuclear weapons data to the US. Business Inside is unable to independently verify the information.
Of the seven officials appointed to the Central Military Commission in 2022, only two — Xi himself and Zhang Shengmin, the commission’s anti-graft officer — remain in power. The rest are either under investigation or have been expelled.
Two defense ministers have been ousted, and last October, nine top PLA commanders were purged. The exact number of senior military leaders affected is unknown, but there are indications the purge has deeply impacted the senior officer corps.
Zhang is the highest-ranking official affected by Xi’s crackdown on the military. And across the lower ranks of the PLA, dozens of other officers have been removed from their positions.
“This is kind of the ultimate crescendo of this anti-corruption campaign in the military,” Jonathan Czin, an expert at the Brookings Institute who previously served as a top China analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency and director for China at the United States National Security Council, told Business Insider.
“It sends a very clear sign throughout the system that nobody is safe regardless of what kind of relationship you had or have with Xi Jinping,” he said.
More investigations may follow those of Zhang and Liu. Officials with ties to the two men could come under suspicion as well, analysts said. Other senior people have been notably absent from important meetings in recent months, suggesting more shakeups.
That leaves Xi with a difficult next step: deciding who can credibly fill the vacancies.
Because so many senior officers have been removed or face investigations, “the pool of candidates for refilling top positions has been winnowed,” Brian Hart, the deputy director and fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ China Power Project, told Business Insider. “Xi could continue to use the existing command structure of the CMC and fill it with new people loyal to him,” he added. “It is also possible Xi could try to start over with a bit of a blank slate by more fundamentally remaking the PLA’s leadership structure.”
Fewer experienced commanders could slow coordination across China’s military — a serious challenge for complex operations like a blockade or invasion of Taiwan.
Some PLA watchers argue Xi appears willing to accept those short-term costs if the result is a force that is more politically loyal and disciplined over time. The PLA Daily editorial framed the campaign as a net positive, arguing that “the more the People’s Army fights corruption, the stronger, purer, and more combat-capable it becomes.”
A senior Pentagon official previously speculated that the extensive corruption in China’s military was hindering its modernization.
Amid disruptions in the force, China may seek to send a signal that shake-ups aren’t affecting military readiness.
“You could actually see an uptick in the number of major exercises around Taiwan, but internally it could mask significant upheaval and disarray within the PLA,” Lyle Morris, a senior fellow for foreign policy and national security at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, told Business Insider.
China staged large joint exercises around Taiwan following earlier purge waves. Such actions could project readiness despite leadership turmoil.
The internal upheaval is likely having an effect, though, China watchers said. “It is hard to deny that this creates challenges for the PLA in the short term,” Hart said. “Any leader deciding on using force would want senior leaders and commanders in place who are loyal, experienced, and effective in their roles. The immense turnover within the PLA’s highest ranks complicates that.”
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