U.S. Think Tank Report: Xi Jinping’s Military Purge Raises Questions About His Competence

File photo: Zhang Youxia (third from left, then Commander of the Shenyang Military Region) accompanies then–Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (second from left) during a visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. (May 9, 2012)

[People News] A Washington-based foreign policy think tank said Tuesday (February 24) that Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s internal purge of senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals, carried out in the name of anti-corruption, has raised doubts about the PLA’s war-readiness.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a report titled “The Purges Within China’s Military Are Deeper Than You Think.” It states that since 2022, Xi has launched an “unprecedented” internal purge of senior PLA officers, affecting approximately 101 military officials.

According to Voice of America, although the official explanation for the purge is corruption, the report suggests other possible motivations, including political loyalty to Xi, factional struggles, and concerns over commanders’ competence. The report further notes that the sweeping purge may have delayed large-scale exercises and could hinder the planning and execution of major joint operations.

CSIS created a database to track Xi’s purge actions since 2022 and to systematically assess their impact. According to CSIS data:

  • 36 senior officers have been officially purged.

  • 65 others are missing or possibly purged.

  • Those affected include PLA generals and lieutenant generals.

  • The purge includes both active-duty and retired senior military leaders.

  • Many assessments are based on the absence of these individuals from meetings they were expected to attend.

Xi began rectifying the PLA leadership after coming to power in 2012. Around 2023, the scope of the purge expanded significantly. In October 2025 alone, nine senior military officials were expelled from the Party and transferred to military prosecutors for investigation, including:

  • Former Politburo member and former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) He Weidong

  • Former CMC member and Director of the Political Work Department Miao Hua

On January 24 this year, China’s Ministry of National Defense abruptly announced that Zhang Youxia, one of the PLA’s most senior generals and a longtime associate of Xi, was under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law.” At the same time, Liu Zhenli, Chief of the Joint Staff Department and also a CMC member, was announced to be under investigation. The Joint Staff Department is widely regarded as the operational command center of the PLA.

As a result, the CMC leadership has been heavily impacted, with only Xi Jinping and Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin currently remaining in their positions.

The CSIS report states that the purge has spread across all service branches — the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force. The Rocket Force, which oversees China’s strategic missile arsenal, has been particularly hard hit. Several senior officials, including former Rocket Force commanders Li Yuchao and Wang Houbin, have fallen. Wang Houbin was expelled from both the Party and the military and transferred to military prosecutors.

For now, the PLA continues routine operations. However, the report suggests that the purge may have delayed large-scale military exercises and could hinder joint operations planning.

For example:

  • In May and October 2024, China responded within 3–4 days to what it considered “provocative” actions by Taiwan, launching two “Joint Sword” exercises.

  • In contrast, in April and December 2025, it took 19 days and 12 days respectively to initiate similar large-scale exercises targeting Taiwan.

The report emphasizes that while the PLA has lost some of its most experienced commanders — raising questions about its war readiness — acting commanders appear capable of maintaining small-scale routine operations. However, it remains unclear whether these temporary leaders possess sufficient authority and experience to implement large-scale strategic changes or to respond effectively to sudden crises.

Prior to the CSIS report, the Pentagon’s 2025 China Military Power Report stated that Xi’s purge campaign is “highly likely to weaken PLA operational effectiveness in the short term,” even if its long-term goal is to strengthen political loyalty and organizational discipline. The report also noted that the upheaval “has reduced the CCP leader’s confidence in the reliability of the PLA leadership.”

After Xi removed Zhang Youxia at the end of January, U.S. Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, commented at the Council on Foreign Relations that Xi is unlikely to accelerate any plan to attack Taiwan.

He said:“Because it’s very, very difficult — and he just removed his top generals.”