The Deeper Pattern Behind China’s Military Purges
Chinese President Xi Jinping has intensified his consolidation of military power through a sweeping purge of senior officers in the People’s Liberation Army, removing key figures from two influential networks within the military. The April 8 'rectification' session at the National Defense University highlighted the extent of these purges, with only a handful of top officers remaining. Analysts suggest the moves are less about ideological purity and more about dismantling entrenched power networks that could challenge Xi’s authority.
- ▪On April 8, 2026, Xi Jinping delivered a speech at a PLA 'rectification' training session held at the National Defense University in Beijing.
- ▪Zhang Shengmin, the CMC’s discipline inspection chief, was the only other top military official seated beside Xi, signaling a major shift in military leadership.
- ▪Two powerful military networks—the Fujian faction linked to He Weidong and Miao Hua, and the old ground-force establishment led by Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli—have been largely dismantled over the past 18 months.
- ▪Miao Hua was suspended in November 2024 and later expelled from the party and military in October 2025, along with seven other generals.
- ▪The purges have left the PLA’s active-duty general ranks significantly depleted, marking a high point in Xi’s decade-long effort to centralize control over the military.
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Argument An expert’s point of view on a current event. The Deeper Pattern Behind China’s Military Purges Xi’s new commanders are the men his last generals blocked. By Christopher Nye, a nonresident fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, and Charles Sun, a Sinovation fellow at Yale School of Management. Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin raises his right hand in a salute to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is walking a level lower in a red-carpeted auditorium. Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin salutes Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 4. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images Get audio access with any FP subscription.
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