PLA in danger: Xi Jinping’s purge weakens China’s military, raising concerns about combat vulnerability

China’s ongoing military corruption purge has created serious flaws in the armed forces’ command structure and may have affected the People’s Liberation Army’s combat readiness, a leading defense research center said. The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said this week that the purge led by Chinese President Xi Jinping involving the Supreme Central Military Commission, theater commands, weapons procurement, development plans and defense academia is not expected to be completed, Reuters reported.

“From an organizational perspective, the PLA’s command structure has serious flaws until the vacancies are filled,” the International Institute for Strategic Studies said in its annual military balance survey.The report follows disciplinary investigations into China’s two most senior generals. Longtime Xi Jinping ally Zhang Youxia was put under investigation in January, while He Weidong was expelled last October. The crackdown left the seven-member military high command with only two current leaders: Xi Jinping himself and newly promoted deputy chairman Zhang Shengmin.The IISS stressed that “purges will almost certainly have a short-term impact” if personnel were promoted through connections or if there were flawed weapons and morale issues, although it called the impact “temporary” and noted that modernization is expected to continue.The report also mentions China’s assertive military posture in the Indo-Pacific region, especially increasing deployments around Taiwan in 2025 to support territorial claims and statecraft. China’s defense spending continues to lead the rest of Asia, with its share of regional military spending increasing from an average of 37% between 2010 and 2020 to nearly 44% in 2025.According to Reuters, earlier this month, Xi Jinping made a rare public reference to the purge in a virtual speech to the People’s Liberation Army: “The past year has been an extraordinary and extraordinary year. The People’s Army has conducted in-depth political education, effectively responded to various risks and challenges, and conducted revolutionary exercises in the fight against corruption.” China’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to the study.