China’s purge of top generals leaves military in turmoil, analysts say

BEIJING PURGES TOP MILITARY GENERALS IN DRAMATIC LEADERSHIP SHAKE-UP

BEIJING — China has purged its highest-ranking military officer and another top commander, a move that signals intense internal power struggles and raises doubts about the country’s military readiness.

General Zhang Youxia, the 75-year-old vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), was ousted alongside General Liu Zhenli. The CMC, the nation's top military body led by President Xi Jinping, has seen its ranks decimated; of its typical seven members, only Xi and General Zhang Shengmin remain following a series of "anti-corruption" removals.

Lyle Morris of the Asia Society Policy Institute said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is now in "turmoil" and faces a "massive leadership vacuum."

While official announcements cited "serious violations of discipline and law"—a common euphemism for corruption—the specific triggers for the purge remain unclear. Unconfirmed rumors have circulated regarding the leak of nuclear secrets to the United States and alleged coup plots.

The PLA Daily, the military’s official newspaper, stated the move reflects the Communist Party’s "zero tolerance" for corruption within the armed forces.

The ongoing purge within China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) represents more than a standard anti-corruption drive; it signals a profound erosion of stability at the heart of President Xi Jinping’s military command. The unprecedented hollowing out of the CMC—the nation’s highest defense decision-making body—now reportedly reduced to just two active members, reveals a crisis of confidence and a climate of suspicion reaching the highest echelons of power.

For regional stakeholders, particularly those embroiled in South China Sea disputes like Vietnam and the Philippines, this leadership vacuum presents a complex strategic calculus. In the short term, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in disarray may lack the cohesion necessary to execute complex, multi-branch military operations, potentially providing a temporary reprieve at maritime flashpoints. However, internal instability often breeds external unpredictability. The breakdown of the established chain of command increases the risk that regional commanders may engage in "loyalty signaling" through hyper-aggressive posturing, or that a tactical mishap could rapidly escalate without the stabilizing hand of a functional high command.

Ultimately, these developments undermine the narrative of Xi Jinping’s absolute, unchallenged grip on the military. Rather than projecting strength, the turmoil exposes a reality of persistent factional infighting and institutional paranoia. For the Indo-Pacific, a paranoid and hollowed-out PLA command structure introduces a dangerous new layer of volatility to an already fragile regional security architecture.