Stories
Xi's 'Night of the Long Knives' Continues, Sapping PLA Vitality
M
Moneycontrol•01-09-2026, 16:40
Xi's 'Night of the Long Knives' Continues, Sapping PLA Vitality
- •Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli were formally removed from China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) on August 28, following investigations for “serious violations of discipline and law” since January 2026.
- •The powerful CMC is now publicly reduced to President Xi Jinping and General Zhang Shengmin, a political commissar, raising concerns about the lack of operational command experience at the top.
- •Unlike previous purges framed as anti-corruption drives, the current removals target Xi’s own senior picks, including the former vice-chairman and chief of Joint Staff, indicating a deeper issue than factionalism.
- •The purges, reminiscent of Mao's efforts to ensure Party control over the military, risk undermining the PLA's combat efficiency by discouraging individual initiative and fostering a culture of 'lying flat' among officers.
- •While the purges may enhance loyalty to Xi, they lower confidence in the PLA's ability to execute complex joint campaigns, leaving a gap between political reliability and actual combat readiness.
Key Question Answered
In the short term, the purges are weakening the PLA's military readiness and could harm its combat effectiveness over the next few years. The removal of senior commanders has created a leadership vacuum and left newly promoted officers who lack experience. This disruption has already impacted military exercises around Taiwan and could affect China's goal of being ready for Taiwan by 2027. However, the purges are expected to make the military more politically reliable.
