Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia’s expulsion from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was politically motivated; Chairman Xi Jinping’s purge of the PLA high command is best explained by his dissatisfaction with senior officers’ assessments of an operation against Taiwan and their willingness to act on Xi’s orders.
The Fujian-based generals Xi once trusted most, as well as the leadership of the Equipment Development Department and Rocket Force, and Zhang himself shared a professional caution about a cross-Strait war. Xi appears to have read their warnings as cowardice and resistance to the 2027 military readiness goal.
The purge shows political will emphasized over military professionalism. Military conflict is less likely in the short term while new officers enter their posts, but gray-zone pressure will likely escalate. A leadership consisting of compliant subordinates makes war increasingly likely over time.
by Jiang Lin, Baosheng Guo/The Jamestown Foundation – Xi’s Purge and the War Over Taiwan
