Why China is purging its top military officials

In recent years, a seismic purge has rocked the upper echelons of China's military leadership, with President Xi Jinping targeting top officials for alleged corruption. The most recent victim is the admiral Miao Huamember of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China's highest military decision-making body.
Driving the news

• It is the latest chapter in Xi's relentless anti-corruption campaign, which now extends to the heartland. People's Liberation Army (PLA).
• Admiral Miao Hua, a senior member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), has been investigated for serious violations of discipline, a euphemism for corruption.
• As head of the CMC's political work department, Miao was responsible for enforcing party discipline within the PLA. His ties to Xi date back to the 1990s, when both served in Fujian province. His investigation highlights the scale of Xi's anti-corruption campaign, targeting even those seen as close allies.
• Miao's suspension follows similar investigations into other senior officials, including former defense ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe.
• Many of the targeted officials held positions within China's elite Rocket Force, which oversees the country's nuclear arsenal.
• At the same time, the Ministry of Defense rejected reports that the current Minister of Defense, Admiral Dong Junis also under investigation, calling the claims pure fabrication. However, Dong's omission from the CMCa, in a departure from recent traditions, suggests that he may also face increased scrutiny.

Why it matters

• The purges highlight a growing anti-corruption crackdown under President Xi Jinping, with significant implications for the world's largest military.
• Xi's vision of a modernized, world-class People's Liberation Army (PLA) by 2050 relies on disciplined leadership and advanced military capabilities. Yet allegations of systemic corruption threaten to undermine both preparedness and internal cohesion.
• The scale of the crackdown shows that corruption is not limited to a few bad apples but is deeply rooted in the military hierarchy. This raises questions about Xi's ability to manage his sweeping anti-corruption campaign while maintaining loyalty and stability among China's military elites.

The big picture

• Xi's campaign against corruption has long been a cornerstone of his rule, targeting officials at all levels of government. Since 2012, these efforts have resulted in the dismissal of millions of public officials. However, the current purge is focused on the PLA, an institution critical to Xi's domestic and international ambitions.
• Strategic implications: The PLA's Rocket Force is central to China's nuclear deterrence strategy and any potential plans for Taiwan. Corruption within this unit, such as the purchase of substandard missiles, raises doubts about the reliability of Chinese military assets.
• Problems with Rocket Force: The Rocket Force, strengthened by Xi's military reforms in 2015, has been particularly hard hit. Allegations include substandard equipment and procurement scandals. Several top commanders, including Li Yuchao and Liu Guangbin, have been purged, and U.S. intelligence reports suggest operational weaknesses such as nonfunctional missile silos and poorly fueled missiles.
• Broader purge: Since mid-2023, more than a dozen senior military and aerospace officials have been fired. This includes high-ranking officials involved in the procurement of equipment, further highlighting the impact of corruption on China's military modernization.
• Internal instability: Unlike previous campaigns targeting rival factions, the current purge affects Xi appointees, including officials considered loyalists. This has led to speculation about growing paranoia and potential fractures within Xi's inner circle.

Between the lines

• The PLA's corruption problems are more than a financial drain: they threaten the effectiveness of China's armed forces at a time of growing geopolitical tensions. Xi's ambitions for the PLA to rival global military powers depend on resolving these internal challenges.
• Critics argue that Xi's centralized power exacerbates these problems, as the lack of institutional checks and balances allows corruption to fester. Additionally, the opacity of China's political and military systems makes it difficult to assess the scale of these problems or their impact on strategic capabilities.
• Xi's purges are reshaping the balance of power within the PLA and the Communist Party as a whole. Miao's removal highlights the risk that even high-ranking loyalists will find themselves working against Xi's drive to consolidate his authority. His investigation also reveals the fragility of personal alliances in a political system where loyalty to Xi is the ultimate currency.

What they say
Corruption in China's military is not the province of a few bad apples, said Lyle Morris, a national security researcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute. This is part of the PLA's commercial activities to a much greater extent than in most other military organizations in the world.
Xi himself has acknowledged deep-rooted problems within the PLA, calling the current political climate complex. At a recent military conference, he stressed the need to root out corruption, saying: “There must be no hiding place for corrupt elements in the military.
“Since the start of his rule in 2012, Xi Jinping's endless purges have eliminated millions of officials, from high-ranking Communist Party tigers to lowly bureaucratic flies, to use Xi's evocative terminology,” according to a Politico article “China's Xi embarks on purge with Stalin”. said.
The issues

• Internal pressures: Xi's crackdown coincides with broader challenges in China, including economic stagnation, youth unemployment and growing discontent among the middle class. A weakened or destabilized PLA could undermine Xi's authority at a time when he faces increasing domestic scrutiny.
• Taiwan and regional security: PLA readiness is essential for any potential action in Taiwan or other disputed territories. Corruption-related inefficiencies could delay or complicate Xi's ambitions, especially as the United States and its allies increase their presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Overall perception: The purges also raise questions about China's military reliability. For a country seeking to position itself as a global superpower, reports of corruption and operational failures weaken its credibility on the global stage.

What's next
Xi, China's “president for life”, will likely intensify his anti-corruption campaign, focusing on strengthening internal discipline and improving transparency within the PLA. Recent measures, such as changing audit rules and reforming public procurement systems, suggest an effort to address systemic problems.
However, analysts warn that these measures could only scratch the surface. The lack of independent oversight and the concentration of power under Xi mean corruption could persist, undermining the very reforms he seeks to implement.
(With contribution from agencies)

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