Balance of Power

Xi’s Purges Raise Questions Over Chinese PLA Capability

The near-elimination of an entire generation of senior commanders has consequences.

Xi Jinping inspecting members of the PLA during a military parade to mark 80 years since Japan’s defeat in World War II, held in Beijing on Sept. 3.Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

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By Jenni Marsh and Nectar Gan

January 27, 2026 at 10:59 AM UTC

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President Xi Jinping’s probe of his top general sends an unmistakable message: no one can stand in the way of his total control of the Chinese military — not even a longtime confidant who helped him consolidate power in the world’s largest standing army.