CSIS’s ChinaPower Project article The Purges Within China’s Military Are Even Deeper Than You Think unpacks Xi Jinping’s unprecedented internal purge of the People’s Liberation Army, which extends far beyond previously understood levels.
Around 2023, Xi initiated a second major round of purges—this time far bolder and more extensive than before… According to CSIS data and analysis, 36 generals and lieutenant generals have been officially purged since 2022… This brings the total of confirmed and potential purges to a staggering 101 people.
The report shows that more than 100 senior officers have been purged or potentially purged since 2022, including top leadership across the Central Military Commission, theater commands, and service branches. The report explains that these removals target both corruption and political loyalty while reshaping the PLA’s leadership structure.
The purges have also removed a large share of operational commanders, yet have not significantly disrupted routine military activity. Political control and regime security remain the primary drivers of Xi’s military reforms, but he now faces the task of rebuilding the PLA high command after sweeping purges across senior leadership. Xi will therefore likely prioritize political loyalty alongside competence as he refills or restructures the Central Military Commission and related command institutions, which is a process that could take years to fully play out. Moreover, Xi’s candidate pool has narrowed sharply, which may also shape how quickly the PLA develops experienced operational leaders for modernization and crisis response.
Most (61 percent) of active duty senior PLA leaders in the database came from the operational track. In the CMC for example, 80 percent of the officials purged were in key operational roles. This marks the highest percentage of purges of operational commanders and is incredibly impactful because it leaves the current CMC without a military leader from the operational track.
