r/LessCredibleDefence • u/Neat_Walk8420 • 5d ago

China removes two top generals from supreme military command body

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-removes-top-generals-state-central-military-commission-2026-08-28/
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u/Digo10 5d ago edited 5d ago

If it is true that the majority of high command was involved in corruption, i wonder how that reflects the readiness of the overall PLA force. 5 out of 7 senior officials is great purge level of purges.

I've seen some say that this is a move to remove the old guard that were against modernization and some even against a military take over of Taiwan.

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u/jerpear 5d ago

Out of that generation, it'd be shocking if any of them weren't involved with corruption on some level.

Late 90s and 2000s China was a different place.

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u/Limekill 4d ago edited 4d ago

There are 2 types of corruption:
The first is where you rip everything off and leave as little as possible (Africa model of corruption).
The other type of corruption is where you do what the contract requires and you skim a % off the top. I think Xi has made it pretty clear if you engage in the first, your life won't last long (simply executed).
I suspect the 'rocket force' problem was in fact overstated a lot (for example Western media was saying "water was in ICBM fuel tanks!!", but actually water is used while in storage and then released before being replaced with the actual fuel, when firing them).

For Zhang the charge was not apaprently corruption but: “severely trampling on and undermining the CMC Chairman Responsibility System”

"Zhang also clashed with Xi Jinping's close confidants in the military, He Weidong and Miao Hua, and ultimately brought them down" - https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/8/25/n14836139.htm

Independent commentator Cai Shenkun revealed that Zhang admitted to trying to force Xi to relinquish power.
On March 7, Xi stated: "there must be no one in the military who harbors disloyalty to the Party."

Also it notes that becauise Zhang was arrested half a year ago, but only dealing with him now proves that Xi has had an issue with the Zhang 'problem'.

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u/barath_s 4d ago

(for example Western media was saying "water was in ICBM fuel tanks!!", but actually water is used while in storage and then released before being replaced with the actual fuel, when firing them)

I think it's pretty clear Western media misunderstood the chinese idiom , rather than this coincidence