More on the dismissal of Zhang Youxia, one of China’s top generals. The article indicates it’s part of Xi Jingping’s further consolidation of power into his own arms, cutting down the leaders of factions emerging in the CCP. On the one hand this could be some brilliant political maneuver but it does stink of a mad king’s paranoia. Furthermore if Xi keeps cutting down blocs inside the CCP like this, it all but guarantees some terrible power struggle when he eventually and inevitably passes. That said for the time being he is clearly very confident in his control over the party and does not fear backlash over these moves.
Al_787 on
The PLA purges are the reason why I think they’re not coming for Taiwan this year. Maybe it’s precisely removing unwillingness to invade Taiwan, but I can’t imagine it going forward now given that vacuum in the CMC.
ModernirsmEnjoyer on
This is hardly news, because the party, state, and army media were speaking about the “undermining the authority of CMC Chairman” (破坏军委主席负责制, meaning Xi Jinping) about arrests of people within his power network, so it was obvious. East Asia media reported rumours of him in conflict with Xi Jinping, and something drove the two into a grave confrontation.
But it seems, after all, the PLA is no longer as politically powerful as it used to be
BATIRONSHARK on
he was appointed sorta recently no? IIRC isnt he like the last serving combat vet or close to
4 Comments
[archive link](https://archive.is/20260125140725/https://www.ft.com/content/f052e439-7b61-4370-aaac-dda1d1d06483)
More on the dismissal of Zhang Youxia, one of China’s top generals. The article indicates it’s part of Xi Jingping’s further consolidation of power into his own arms, cutting down the leaders of factions emerging in the CCP. On the one hand this could be some brilliant political maneuver but it does stink of a mad king’s paranoia. Furthermore if Xi keeps cutting down blocs inside the CCP like this, it all but guarantees some terrible power struggle when he eventually and inevitably passes. That said for the time being he is clearly very confident in his control over the party and does not fear backlash over these moves.
The PLA purges are the reason why I think they’re not coming for Taiwan this year. Maybe it’s precisely removing unwillingness to invade Taiwan, but I can’t imagine it going forward now given that vacuum in the CMC.
This is hardly news, because the party, state, and army media were speaking about the “undermining the authority of CMC Chairman” (破坏军委主席负责制, meaning Xi Jinping) about arrests of people within his power network, so it was obvious. East Asia media reported rumours of him in conflict with Xi Jinping, and something drove the two into a grave confrontation.
But it seems, after all, the PLA is no longer as politically powerful as it used to be
he was appointed sorta recently no? IIRC isnt he like the last serving combat vet or close to