Naypyidaw, Oct 10 (IANS) China’s latest purge of senior military leaders has highlighted a key challenge for President Xi Jinping, as removing commanders deemed unreliable could make it harder to rebuild a military leadership that combines political loyalty, operational experience and command credibility, a report has stated.
It noted that for Xi, restoring this balance could prove more difficult than the purge itself.
“Removing senior commanders may be easier than finding replacements who combine political loyalty with operational experience and command authority. China’s latest purge of senior military leaders has exposed a difficult problem for President Xi Jinping: removing commanders deemed politically unreliable can be done swiftly, but rebuilding a military leadership that is both loyal to Xi and capable of commanding the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could take years,” according to a report in Mekong News Myanmar
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced on September 21 the expulsion of Zhang Youxia, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and Liu Zhenli, former chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department, from both the Party and the military. The two were accused of offences including breaches of political discipline, corruption and factionalism, the report mentioned.
Their removal, it said, marks the latest development in Xi Jinping’s widening purge of senior Chinese Army officers, with the move carrying particular weight given the influence and military networks both men cultivated over decades.
“Zhang, one of the PLA’s most senior figures and formerly second only to Xi in the CMC hierarchy, had extensive links across the military establishment. Liu, as head of the Joint Staff Department, occupied a key position in China’s operational command structure. The immediate effect of the purge is therefore not simply the removal of two officers, but the disruption of established relationships and networks within the senior command,” the report detailed.
It argued that the disruption does not necessarily indicate a slowdown in China’s military modernisation.
Programmes focused on artificial intelligence, advanced weapons and other capabilities are expected to proceed under existing institutional frameworks. Tighter political oversight could, in fact, be aimed at ensuring that these capabilities remain firmly under the control of the CCP leadership, Mekong News report stated.
“The deeper challenge is institutional. Senior commanders capable of leading large military organisations normally spend decades acquiring operational experience, professional relationships and authority. Replacing them with officers who are simultaneously trusted by Xi and accepted as capable commanders cannot be achieved simply through appointments,” it said.
–IANS
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