Since coming to power in 2012, dictator Xi Jinping has begun a profound series of purges among the Chinese military’s top brass. The most recent episode, earlier this month, gained widespread repercussion for involving the country’s top general, Zhang Youxia, and his immediate, General Liu Zhenli.
The two were members of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest command authority of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The announcement was the focus of discussions among military analysts around the world, as the motivation for the drastic decision was not immediately clear. An investigation of the Wall Street Journal revealed that China’s regime had accused the country’s highest-ranking general of leaking nuclear secrets to the US, which would be considered one of the most serious crimes of treason committed by a Chinese official.
For American authorities, however, the new wave of layoffs remains shrouded in mystery. Reports developed by US intelligence in recent years indicate that dictator Xi has an increasing level of paranoia and this may explain the new case of removal.
For retired military analyst Paulo Roberto da Silva Gomes Filho, columnist for People’s Gazettewhat really happened to lead to the dismissal of the veteran and almost the entire top Chinese military leadership in recent years remains unknown.
Since taking power in China, Xi has ousted five of the six generals who made up the committee, a situation that, for Paulo Filho, is unprecedented in the last forty years.
At the same time that Xi defends an anti-corruption policy, the high-level dismissal campaign is seen as a way for the dictator to attest to his absolute power, testing tools to take down possible political threats within the Chinese Communist Party, which exercises authority over the Armed Forces.
In October, another crackdown resulted in the removal of nine high-ranking generals – including some members of the Central Military Commission. The regime justified at the time that the purges were part of Xi’s anti-corruption policy.
Mass layoffs expand Xi’s powers but could isolate him
An analysis by the American think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) points out that the Chinese dictator’s ongoing purges have reduced the Central Military Commission from seven to two members since 2023, including Xi, and turned the body into an extension of the will of Beijing’s top leader, rather than an important military decision-making forum.
On the other hand, the risks have also increased. Now the general secretary of the Communist Party could end up isolated or surrounded by sycophants, which in turn could lead to military miscalculations.
Although initial investigations indicate that the removal of the country’s top general and his deputy is linked to “non-compliance” with the law, Zhang and Liu have not been formally charged with corruption, which contrasts with previous corruption investigations involving officials from China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Another hypothesis evaluated by the institute is that Xi may have purged Zhang and Liu because he considered them a threat to his leadership or his military objectives, such as preparing for a conflict with Taiwan.
The military’s official newspaper reported that the two “seriously betrayed the trust and expectations” of the regime and “severely disrespected” the Central Military Commission Chairman’s Responsibility System, which refers to Xi’s ultimate authority over the country’s top military brass.
The ISW also highlighted that the publication held the two generals responsible for “undermining ideological cohesion” in the Chinese army, “probably referring to dictator Xi’s efforts to ideologize the Armed Forces and reinforce absolute loyalty to him.”
Now there is only one member of the Central Military Commission left besides Xi: Zhang Shengmin, who appears to be one of the few high-ranking officers Xi still trusts to fulfill his military ambitions.
