Probes and removal of senior officers considered allies of Xi Jinping are a sign of pervasive corruption and ruinous political infighting.

By Leo Timm | The Epoch Times

Summary

Xi Jinping’s leadership, once seen as unassailable, now confronts unprecedented challenges from within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and People’s Liberation Army (PLA). As purges intensify and bureaucratic resistance grows, the regime’s stability—and Xi’s grip on power—appear increasingly tenuous.

Despite consolidating significant authority, Xi faces mounting internal resistance. Numerous senior PLA officials have faced corruption allegations, removals, or unexplained absences in recent years. These purges, even of Xi’s confidants, suggest deepening factional strife and possible erosion of Xi’s control over the military.

High-ranking PLA officials, including former Defense Minister Li Shangfu (expelled in 2024) and Admiral Miao Hua (under investigation since 2024 and later dismissed from the National People’s Congress), have been targeted in Xi’s anti-corruption campaigns. Notably, General He Weidong, the PLA’s third-highest official and a Xi ally, has been absent from public view since March 2025, fueling rumors of his arrest or investigation.

Analysts speculate that Xi’s authority is being undermined by rivals, such as General Zhang Youxia, a veteran PLA leader and Central Military Commission vice chairman. Zhang’s combat experience and political maneuvering may challenge Xi’s grip on the military.

Xi’s relentless anti-corruption efforts, once aimed at rivals, now risk alienating his own allies, exposing systemic rot within the PLA and the Party. Critics argue the campaigns have failed to curb military corruption, weakening China’s operational readiness. The disappearance of officials like Foreign Minister Qin Gang (2023) and Defense Minister Li Shangfu underscores the regime’s opacity and Xi’s precarious position.

A leaked article, “The Inevitable Failure of Xi Jinping,” allegedly authored by a CCP insider, critiques Xi’s policies as destabilizing. It claims a “deep state” of technocrats—vested in post-1978 economic reforms—is subtly sabotaging Xi’s agenda by exploiting his own directives (“using Xi’s words to oppose Xi”).

This bureaucratic dissent, coupled with Xi’s rigid ideological campaigns (e.g., zero-COVID, anti-corruption drives), has bred discontent among elites and ordinary citizens alike.

Read the full report at the publisher’s website here.

Related Reading

Thoughts on the Political Demise of Miao Hua

By Jonathan A. Czin | Brookings Institution

What was once improbable in Chinese politics has now become yet another symptom of a new normal.

Summary: Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China’s military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption campaign marked by the unprecedented purge of high-ranking officials, including Admiral Miao Hua, a former Xi ally and head of the PLA’s Political Work Department. Since 2012, Xi has removed at least seven Central Military Commission (CMC) members, signaling a break from past norms where such purges were rare. Key figures like Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong—prominent CMC leaders under previous regimes—were early targets, enabling Xi to consolidate power and push through major PLA reforms. These reforms, akin to transformative U.S. military overhauls like the 1947 National Security Act, centralized Xi’s control and dismantled entrenched factions. Miao’s recent ouster fits this pattern, underscoring Xi’s relentless focus on loyalty and anti-corruption, even at the cost of sidelining his own appointees.

The reasons behind Miao’s downfall remain speculative but center on allegations of faction-building (“mountain top-ism”) or corruption. Miao, who rose through the Nanjing Military Region overlapping with Xi’s political strongholds, was initially seen as a Xi loyalist. However, his oversight of personnel decisions in the Political Work Department—a hub for patronage networks—may have fostered rival power structures. Xi’s June 2024 Yan’an conference, echoing Maoist-era emphasis on ideological purity, hinted at renewed scrutiny of political loyalty, potentially dooming Miao. While evidence is scant, the purge aligns with Xi’s strategy to eliminate perceived threats, whether through graft accusations or factional distrust. Parallel removals of officials linked to Miao’s 31st Group Army further suggest systemic cleansing of potential rivals.

The tactical downgrading of roles like defense minister—now a ceremonial post devoid of CMC influence—highlights Xi’s view of military leaders as expendable. Paradoxically, while corruption persists, the PLA continues advancing its modernization goals, developing cutting-edge capabilities in areas like nuclear forces and naval power. This duality underscores Xi’s balancing act: purges consolidate his political control, yet the PLA’s operational progress suggests institutional resilience. Ultimately, Miao’s removal exemplifies Xi’s ruthless prioritization of loyalty over legacy, ensuring the PLA remains a tool of party supremacy amid rising tensions with Taiwan and the U.S.

Read in full at the publisher’s website here.