There seems to be a striking similarity between the large-scale purge in China’s military since 2022 by President Xi Jinping and those by Stalin in the Red Army in the years before the Nazi invasion of Soviet Union in 1941. 

Stalin’s purges left the Soviet military command structure totally demoralised and historians have blamed them for the severe reverses initially suffered by the Red Arm. Now, many who closely follow China’s rise as a military power think Xi’s extensive purge has had a somewhat similar and severe impact on the country’s military higher command.

A detailed report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says 36 generals and lieutenant generals have been officially purged since 2022, with another 65 listed as missing, meaning they are potentially purged. The report says 52 percent of the top 176 positions in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been affected. Ten members of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), including four vice- chairmen, have been sacked. 

Worse still, there seems to be no closure as reports of more purges in late February were coming in at the time of writing. 19 officials, including nine from the military, have been removed from the list of lawmakers ahead of its biggest annual political meeting next week.

The removals were announced by the country’s top legislative body, the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

No official reason has been given, but it comes just weeks after President Xi Jinping removed Zhang Youxia, his highest-ranking general and also one of his........

© Eurasia Review