Xi’s Military Purge Could Hinder China’s Taiwan Ambitions, Analysts Warn

China may face difficulties mounting a military campaign against Taiwan as President Xi Jinping’s sweeping purge of senior officials continues to reshape the country’s armed forces, analysts say.

A new report from the China Power Project found that around 101 senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers have disappeared from public view since 2022, part of a broader anti-corruption drive that has intensified in recent years. The removals have included high-ranking figures reportedly close to Xi, raising questions about the military’s readiness.

Bonny Lin, director of the Washington-based research initiative, said the scale of the purge could undermine China’s near-term operational capacity.

«Given the significant vacancies, it would be incredibly difficult for China to launch military campaigns against Taiwan,» she said, adding that the shake-up may already have affected military exercises around the island.

Experts say the crackdown has reshaped the PLA’s leadership structure, with some estimates suggesting that dismissed officials accounted for roughly half of the military’s senior ranks. The purge is widely seen as part of Xi’s broader effort to consolidate control over the armed forces while tackling corruption and loyalty concerns.

M. Taylor Fravel, a military expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted that replacing experienced commanders could prove challenging. Analysts say Xi’s strategy requires balancing loyalty with operational expertise, which may slow efforts to rebuild leadership depth.

While the campaign could weaken short-term military readiness, some observers argue it may strengthen Xi’s political grip over the armed forces in the long run. Commentators suggest the purge is driven as much by internal power dynamics as by anti-corruption goals.

The findings come amid heightened geopolitical tensions over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. Although China continues to expand its military capabilities, analysts say internal upheaval within the PLA could complicate any immediate plans for large-scale operations.

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