Xis militärischer Zusammenbruch

SS: Xi Jinping has purged Zhang Youxia, his long-trusted ally and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), marking an unprecedented escalation in Xi’s consolidation of control over the PLA. Zhang’s fall—alongside other senior officers—goes beyond routine anti-corruption campaigns and represents a generational decapitation of China’s military leadership. Official rhetoric accuses Zhang of undermining the Party’s absolute control of the military, and leaks to the Wall Street Journal alleging he passed nuclear weapons information to the U.S. appear designed to portray him not just as corrupt but as traitorous, fully delegitimizing him and signaling that no one, not even Xi’s inner circle, is untouchable.

The purge leaves the CMC effectively hollowed out, heightens succession uncertainty, and reinforces Xi’s direct, personalized control over the armed forces in a system with no civilian oversight beyond him. Analysts interviewed argue the move reflects either Xi’s deepening suspicion or a calculated willingness to discard even close allies once they outlive their usefulness, rather than a clear policy dispute over Taiwan or deliberate espionage. While damaging to morale, the PLA’s operational capacity appears intact, and the episode suggests Xi feels strategically secure enough—especially on Taiwan—to prioritize internal control over stability, even at the cost of institutional coherence and trust within the military elite.