Beijing: On December 30th, 2023, China carried out a substantial purge within the upper echelons of its military, dismissing nine senior generals from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The sweeping action, affecting key figures from the PLA Rocket Force, a crucial segment of China’s nuclear arsenal, highlights a significant shake-up within the country’s military apparatus.

The dismissed individuals include notable figures from the PLA Rocket Force, including five past or current top commanders: Li Yuchao, former Rocket Force commander; Zhang Zhenzhong, former deputy commander and deputy chief of staff of the Central Military Commission (CMC); Li Chuanguang, deputy commander since 2016; Zhou Yaning, Li Yuchao’s predecessor; and Lu Hong, current head of equipment development for the Rocket Force.

Other dismissed figures encompass Rao Wenmin, deputy director of equipment development for the CMC; Zhang Yulin, former deputy director of equipment development; Ju Xinchun, commander of the PLA Navy’s South Sea Fleet; and Ding Laihang, former PLA Air Force commander.

This upheaval within the military leadership is part of a broader pattern of dismissals and disappearances in China’s military ranks throughout the year. General Li Shangfu, the former defence minister and head of equipment development, was removed in October without public explanation.

International experts have offered varied analyses of this extensive purge. Andrew Scobell, Distinguished Fellow for China at the United States Institute for Peace, noted, “It is a clear sign that they are being purged.” Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, predicted, “More heads will roll. The purge that centred around the Rocket Force is not over.”

Dennis Wilder, senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University, expressed shock at the scale of the purge within the PLA’s Rocket Force, known for its rigorous vetting process.

Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, highlighted the impact of these events, stating, “It will take some time for China to clean up the mess and restore confidence in the Rocket Force’s competence and trustworthiness. The strategic nuclear force is what China relies on as the bottom line of its national security, and the last resort on Taiwan.”

President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, now in its second decade, has targeted high-profile military figures in the past. Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, both former vice-chairmen of the CMC, were among those affected by the campaign. Guo was jailed for life for bribery in 2016, while Xu died of cancer in 2015 while facing a court martial.

Chen Daoyin, a former associate professor and political commentator, provided a critical perspective on the situation, suggesting a realization of rampant corruption within the military.

This latest series of dismissals and the broader context of military purges indicate ongoing turbulence within China’s military ranks, with significant implications for the PLA’s operational capabilities and the wider geopolitical landscape amid escalating tensions in regions like the South China Sea and Taiwan.

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