For over a decade since assuming power, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has been continuously purging corruption within the ranks of the Communist military to consolidate his personal rule, enhance his power, and drive forward large-scale military modernization efforts. More than half of the top positions within the Chinese Communist military have been purged, sparking doubts among observers regarding the operational and combat capabilities of the Chinese Communist military.
Last month, the Communist Party targeted the highest ranks of the military by arresting Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia and Member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department Liu Zhenli. As a result, only Xi Jinping and the newly promoted Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin remain on the Central Military Commission’s seven-member body.
In successive rounds of purges at the top levels of the military, many senior military officials closely associated with Xi or appointed by him have also been removed. The official stance of the Communist Party consistently attributes these purges to severe corruption or serious violations of laws and regulations by the dismissed military officers. However, the true motives behind these purges remain difficult to discern due to the opaque nature of Communist Party operations.
According to CNN, the latest report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Tuesday, February 24, states that since 2022, 36 Chinese Communist gener…ambiguities.
The mass purges orchestrated by Xi within the military have raised concerns about the Chinese Communist military’s ability to execute complex military operations. The report indicates that extending the purge to lower-ranking officers implies that Xi Jinping might have to rely on officers with limited command experience or even a lack of combat experience to lead military operations, potentially constraining the scale of Chinese Communist military actions.
The report mentions that with the removal of 56 deputy theater commanders, the pool of candidates for successor roles has decreased by over 33%, underscoring a severe shortage of up…ions could be reflected in the readiness status of the Chinese Communist military, such as the significant increase in the time required for military exercises in the Taiwan Strait in 2025 compared to 2024, with durations of 19 days and 12 days respectively, far exceeding the 4 days required in 2024.
The report pointed out that with the loss of senior leadership within the Chinese Communist military, the feasibility of an invasion of Taiwan in the coming years…gienefficiently execute actions that do not require highly coordinated operations, such as blockades.
Thomas Christensen, an analyst at CSIS, believes that even in less complex situations, the question remains whether Xi can receive sincere and candid military advice.
Experts suggest that newly promoted military leaders may fear being purged like their predecessors and may choose to withhold or distort negative information to avoid Xi’s wrath, leading to overconfidence in his decisions.
The CSIS report highlights that against a backdrop of soaring global defense budgets, Chinese military spending growth continues to outpace other Asian countries. Last year, China’s total military spending in the Asia-Pacific region increased by nearly 44%, surpassing the average of 37% from 2010 to 2020.
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