On October 17, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that the Communist Party’s Central Committee and Central Military Commission had, after investigations, removed nine senior officers from their posts in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The stunning announcement came on the eve of the long-delayed Fourth Plenum of the Party’s 20th Central Committee, scheduled to start on October 20 and continue for four days. On the agenda are crucial economic matters, including the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, covering the period from 2026 to 2030.
Analysts are also watching closely for any hints that the Party might announce changes in its leadership at the plenum. If Xi Jinping, the Party’s general secretary and chairman of its Central Military Commission, was responsible for the removal of these flag officers, he will undoubtedly emerge from the plenum as strong as ever—perhaps even stronger.
However, if Xi’s enemies orchestrated the removals, China could soon see a new leader, as Xi’s position would become untenable.
### Who Was Behind the Removals?
Both the *Wall Street Journal* and the *New York Times* reported that Xi Jinping was the one who removed the nine officers. This conclusion, at least initially, seems logical. Xi has held significant power for an extended period, and journalists often attribute major actions in China to him.
In fact, Xi once had near-complete control over the PLA, which answers not to the Chinese state but to the Communist Party. His major reorganization of the PLA in the mid-2010s and periodic anti-corruption purges provided opportunities to install loyalists.
“In most systems, repeated purges of senior military leaders would trigger crisis or resistance,” Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told the *New York Times*. “Xi’s ability to churn and burn through top generals without sparking significant institutional pushback reveals the strength, not fragility, of his rule.”
### But Is Xi Truly in Control?
While Xi may intermittently purge his own people, this is not the most likely explanation in the latest case.
Starting July 9, 2024, **PLA Daily**, the Chinese military’s main propaganda organ, ran a series of articles praising “collective leadership”—a clear critique of Xi’s demand for absolute obedience. These articles were penned by those aligned with the top uniformed officer, Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Gen. Zhang Youxia, and could not have appeared if Xi were in total control of the military.
Zhang Youxia is known as a political adversary of Xi.
Notably, the most senior of the nine officers removed on October 17 was General He Weidong, the second-ranked vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and Xi’s No. 1 loyalist in the PLA. General He had gained prominence as Xi’s top enforcer within the military and was last publicly seen on March 11.
On October 17, the Defense Ministry reported that He Weidong had been expelled from the Party pending ratification at a Central Committee plenary session. His case was transferred to a military procuratorate “for review and prosecution.” The following day, **PLA Daily** issued an editorial stating that General He and the other eight had been “disloyal,” indirectly referring to them as “hidden tumors.”
He Weidong was not the only officer aligned with Xi who was purged. Intriguingly, over the past 18 months, there has been little evidence of any Xi adversary being removed from power.
### The Implications of the Purges
“The continuation of the purges is hard to explain if Xi dominates the political system because his supporters are now being purged,” Charles Burton of the Prague-based Sinopsis think tank told this author in July, following a previous round of firings. “Sometimes the simplest explanations are the most credible. The simplest explanation is that Xi’s enemies—not Xi himself—removed Xi’s loyalists.”
The PLA remains the most important faction within the Party. As Mao Zedong famously stated, “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun,” a principle that may now be turned against Xi Jinping.
“In the armed forces, dissent is growing amid his regime’s economic and social failures,” Burton added on Friday, referencing Xi. “The Fourth Plenum poses a direct threat to his leadership. Even if he survives this meeting, the internal pressures suggest his grip on power is more fragile than ever.”
### Ongoing Struggles Within the Communist Party
Throughout 2024, reports have detailed continuing power struggles within Communist Party civilian circles as well.
Given that Xi appears to be fighting for political survival, it seems unlikely that he would remove his most important supporter in the military. It is far more probable that Xi has lost control of the People’s Liberation Army, especially since the recent removals strengthen the position of Gen. Zhang—an adversary of Xi.
“Party elders believe they cannot allow the leadership struggle to continue beyond the Fourth Plenum,” Blaine Holt, a retired U.S. Air Force general who follows Chinese politics, told *Gatestone* after the Defense Ministry’s announcement.
### The Road Ahead
By Thursday, China could have a new leader or witness a new round of purges. Either way, there will be blood on the floor—at least figuratively—as power dynamics within the Communist Party and its military arm continue to shift dramatically.
http://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2025/10/19/has-xi-jinping-lost-control-of-chinas-military-and-china-itself-by-gordon-g-chang/
