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The purge of generals from the world's second most powerful army

2026-02-03 23:37:02Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The purge of generals from the world's second most powerful army
The purge of generals from the world's second most powerful army

Xi's extraordinary purges over three years have left a void at the top of the world's second-most powerful military.

China's military leadership appeared before the nation in March 2023 as a unified image behind Xi Jinping. After nearly a decade in power, the Chinese president had installed the high command he wanted: loyalists handpicked by him to make the People's Liberation Army a world power.

But even Xi loyalists have not been spared by his sweeping campaign to purge the military, a purge that officially focuses on corruption but is also linked to loyalty to him. One by one, members of the Central Military Commission have been dismissed and put under investigation. The latest was General Zhang Youxia, Xi's top general.

Xi has also removed dozens of other senior military officials in less than three years, a level of shakeup unprecedented in modern Chinese history. According to a New York Times analysis of state media reports and official announcements, the Chinese military has undergone widespread purges.

As of early 2023, China had at least 30 generals and admirals leading specialized departments and theater commands. Almost all have left or disappeared during Xi’s purges. In some cases, he has appointed new generals as replacements, but many of them have also disappeared from the public scene. Only seven generals appear to remain active.

The purge of generals from the world's second most powerful army

The purges demonstrate Xi’s extraordinary power, but they have also created a leadership vacuum in the military. The fall of General Zhang and another commander dismissed with him, General Liu Zhenli, have left the Central Military Commission without leaders to prepare the forces for battle. The sudden loss of two key operational commanders could temporarily undermine Xi’s confidence in the military’s readiness.

The only general left on the commission is Zhang Shengmin, who oversaw Xi’s military purges and now appears to be in charge of political discipline and loyalty. He spent most of his career as an inspector for anti-corruption and political discipline in the Rocket Force, which oversees China’s nuclear and missile programs. Xi promoted him last year to vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The outages have affected nearly all branches of the armed forces, including the Rocket Force and the Navy. The five theater commands, the regions that Xi created in 2016 to manage the military, have also been hit, including the Eastern Theater Command, responsible for operations around Taiwan. Late last year, Xi appointed a new commander for that theater.

Since General Zhang's downfall, the Chinese military's official newspaper has urged officers and soldiers to support the decision and rally around Xi. It acknowledged that the dismissals and shakeups were causing "short-term hardship and pain."

But, according to her, in the end an even stronger Chinese army will emerge.

First, Xi must find another group of reliable generals, as the 72-year-old leader seeks a fourth term as general secretary of the Communist Party of China from 2027, a post he is likely to take./ New York Times


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