Wednesday 04 Dec 2024 @ 09:20
Chatham House
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As China’s purge of top military officials continues, will Xi’s high-stakes gamble pay off?

EXPERT COMMENT

The recent suspension of Miao Hua is part of Xi Jinping’s efforts to modernize and tighten control of the People’s Liberation Army, but his plan carries significant risks.

Last week, China’s Ministry of Defence announced that Admiral Miao Hua, a very senior figure within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), has been suspended and is under investigation for ‘serious violation of discipline’. This comes soon after a report from US officials that Defence Minister Dong Jun is also under investigation (although Beijing has insisted that he remains in post). 

Both men are personal appointees of President Xi Jinping, indicating that loyalty and control of the military is more important than avoiding shorter-term instability in command structure and significant embarrassment. This reflects the seriousness with which Xi is taking his ambitions for the PLA, but also has implications for the perception of actual Chinese fighting capability abroad. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.

 

Channel website: https://www.chathamhouse.org/

Original article link: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/12/chinas-purge-top-military-officials-continues-will-xis-high-stakes-gamble-pay

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