C3S ISSUE BRIEF 45/26 - China’s Military Purges: Strategic and Operational Implications By Balaji Chandramohan.
Introduction
As China prepares for the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 2027, the relationship between political control and military effectiveness deserves close attention. Xi Jin Ping’s purges raise questions about the strength of the PLA’s leadership, the progress of military modernization and its capacity to conduct complex operations.
The Central Military Commission (CMC), chaired by Xi, embodies the principle that the Party controls the gun. The PLA serves the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with the protection of Party rule central to its institutional purpose. At the same time, it must prepare to advance China’s external security objectives, including those concerning Taiwan and disputed areas of the South China Sea.
These responsibilities can reinforce one another, but they can also create tensions. Political loyalty does not automatically confer operational competence. A leadership system that discourages unwelcome advice may struggle to provide an accurate assessment of military readiness.
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(Mr Balaji Chandramohan is a Lecturer at Indian Academy of International Law. He was associated with premier think tanks such as MPIDSA. He was a Researcher Scholar at University of Madras and has taught defence studies at various colleges in Tamil Nadu. He studied journalism in New Zealand and has worked as a journalist at ANI DDNEWS and Lok Sabha TV channel. The views expressed here are of the author's own and do not reflect the views of C3S.)
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