Disarray or Discipline? How China’s Military Shake-up Reshapes the Threat to Taiwan

Photo via CNN

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China’s highest ranking officer, and President Xi Jinping’s closest military advisor, General Zhang Youxia has been put under investigation and purged from China’s military. President Xi has also removed five of the six military generals in his Central military commission, while 34 of the 44 generals in the party’s Central Committee were suspiciously missing from official events. So why such a big internal purge of esteemed military officials by President Xi? Simply put, the removal of such esteemed generals is a means to “remove rot and regenerate flesh,” according to the Chinese government. 

The quote “remove rot and regenerate flesh” refers to when Mao Zedong rebuilt the Chinese Communist movement into a disciplined force that ultimately defeated the Nationalists, while also launching harsh political purges. Additionally, this moment enabled the Chinese communist party to defeat opposing forces, overthrow the rule of the Nationalists, and usher in a rebirth of China, making it revered by leaders like Xi Jinping and other revolutionary descendants as a defining moment in Communist Party history. Xi Jinping has similarly reshaped China’s military leadership by removing older generals and promoting younger officers who are better positioned to adapt to modern warfare, including the use of artificial intelligence, drones, and other advanced technologies.

This reflects Xi Jinping’s ambitions to strengthen China’s military capabilities and increase economic and strategic pressure on Taiwan and other perceived adversaries. Xi and the Chinese leadership appear to view the current moment as an ideological struggle against democratic forces that challenge their political agenda. As a result, greater pressure to conform to the authority of the Chinese Communist state could be directed toward Taiwan and even citizens within mainland China as the country enters a new phase of military modernization. This evolving military posture also raises the possibility that China could rely more heavily on coercive measures, including military force, to pursue its strategic objectives.

However, although the ambitions for military action are strong, the reality of the situation is that removing such esteemed and experienced government officials has delayed the agenda of China’s military. President Xi Jinping has announced previously that he wants the military to be capable of a successful assault by 2027. However, with such great structural changes occurring with a quick turnaround, their ability to do so is looking more difficult. Thomas, from the Asia Society Policy Institute, explains, “‘(the latest purge) makes China’s threat toward Taiwan weaker in the short term but stronger in the long term.’ It would make a military escalation against the island riskier in the immediate term because of ‘a high command in disarray,’ but in the long term would mean the army has a more loyal and less corrupt leadership with more military capabilities, he said.”

Taiwan will hold presidential elections in January 2028, which will determine the direction its people want the country to take. If voters re-elect current president Lai Ching-te, it would mark the fourth consecutive victory for the Democratic Progressive Party. Such an outcome could be interpreted by Xi Jinping as Taiwan moving further away from China’s political ideology, potentially increasing military pressure on the island and its allies. At the same time, the removal of General Zhang Youxia from China’s military leadership was announced just one day after the Trump Administration signaled its intention to prioritize U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere rather than focusing primarily on countering China. This shift could further complicate relations between the United States and China and may intensify debate over how strongly the U.S. will support Taiwan as tensions continue to grow.

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This article was edited by Julianna Wottawa and Anna-Rose Barnes.