Xi continues his purge of China’s military

OPINION:

In China, the Chinese Communist Party “commands the gun,” and Chinese President Xi Jinping controls the 1 million members of the CCP. In October 2022, Mr. Xi was elected to an unprecedented third term as secretary-general of the CCP and president of the People’s Republic of China.

Mr. Xi succeeded Hu Jintao as secretary-general in November 2012 and immediately proceeded to expel Politburo member Bo Xilai from the CCP. In 2014, he expelled Zhou Yongkang, who was responsible for China’s security services and was one of nine members of the powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo. This was the beginning of Mr. Xi’s anti-corruption campaign — and the removal of political rivals.

The campaign continues, with more than 115 senior officials investigated in 2025 and reportedly more than 60 punished.

What caught the public’s attention was the removal of Defense Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu in October 2023 and June 2024, respectively. In 2025, Mr. Xi removed Gen. He Weidong, vice chairman of the nine-member Central Military Commission, for “serious violations of party discipline” and Adm. Miao Hua, director of the Central Military Commission’s Political Work Department.

Also removed from the CCP in October were eight additional senior military officials, including Lin Xiangyang, commander of the Eastern Theater Command responsible for Taiwan, Wang Houbin, commander of the Rocket Force, responsible for China’s nuclear and missile programs, and Wang Chunning, commander of the People’s Armed Police.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Gen. Weidong and Adm. Miao Hua were assigned to the 31 Group Army in Fujian Province, which was responsible for potential military operations against Taiwan.

Mr. Xi is continuing his purge of the military with the removal of Gen. Zhang Youxia, senior vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and China’s most senior general, and Gen. Liu Zhenli, chief of the Central Military Commission’s Joint Staff Department, responsible for planning and operations. Both men are accused of committing severe violations of party discipline and state laws.

Gen. Zhang is also a member of the Politburo and a close associate of Mr. Xi. Their fathers fought alongside Mao Zedong’s forces during the Chinese civil war in 1949. Mr. Xi’s purge of a fellow “princeling,” or descendants of revolutionary elders, must have shocked senior officials in Beijing. They must wonder when this hollowing-out of senior ranks in the military will stop, and whether they are next.

As vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, Mr. Zhang had direct responsibility for military strategies concerning Taiwan. He was responsible for planning for potential conflict with Taiwan. Gen. Zhang was an outspoken proponent of forceful unification, saying the military would “show no mercy” if Taiwan declared independence.

In late December, China’s military conducted Justice Mission 2025, a large-scale drill around Taiwan. This was the sixth major exercise since 2022, simulating a full blockade of Taiwan, with naval vessels and aircraft testing joint operational capabilities. China deployed warships, bombers and fighter jets to encircle Taiwan. The exercise was designed to test China’s ability to seal off Taiwan’s major ports while simulating strikes on land and sea targets.

These “gray zone” tactics were meant to intimidate the public and exhaust Taiwan’s defense resources.

It’s possible that Mr. Xi removed Gens. Zhang Youxia, He Wei Dong and Liu Zhenli — all on the seven-member Central Military Commission designed for rapid decision-making and China’s highest military command — because of disagreements over Taiwan. All these men (and Gen. Lin Xiangyang, former commander of the Eastern Theater Command in charge of Taiwan) were responsible for military operations against Taiwan.

Mr. Xi demands loyalty from all CCP and military colleagues. It’s possible that his military colleagues were pushing for a kinetic move against Taiwan in 2027, a date that Mr. Xi said China would have the military capability to move kinetically against Taiwan.

It appears to me that Mr. Xi was not prepared for a kinetic move against Taiwan, despite his military generals strongly advocating it. When Mr. Xi got pushback from his generals, he removed them. In China, the CCP controls the gun, and Mr. Xi controls the CCP.

• The author is a former associate director of national intelligence. All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. government. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. government authentication of information or endorsement of the author’s views.