During Xi Jinping’s third term in China, 14 of the 79 generals he had personally appointed have disappeared from public view or come under investigation, according to Bloomberg. The agency notes that there was not a single such case during the 20 years his predecessors were in power.
As a result of purges in the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest collegial body of the Chinese army, only four of the seven members remain, the lowest number since Mao Zedong’s time.
The highest-ranking general to fall from grace was CMC deputy head He Weidong. What exactly happened to him is unknown. According to media reports, he was charged with corruption, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Bloomberg notes that Xi is consolidating his personal power through reshuffles and repressions in the army. At the same time, according to analysts, the removal of key military leaders could call into question the readiness of the armed forces, including in the context of a potential conflict with Taiwan.
