© Getty Images China's military operates with “serious deficiencies” in its command structure.
Anti-graft campaigns within the Chinese armed forces are creating considerable vulnerabilities in the leadership framework and are probably hindering the combat effectiveness of the nation’s military forces, Reuters reports .
As per a study from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the purges are likely to continue, even though they have already affected the Central Military Commission, various commands, arms acquisition and development, and defense-related academia.
“From an organizational standpoint, until the open positions are filled, China’s military is functioning with notable shortcomings in its command structure,” the IISS stated in its yearly Military Balance report.
If appointments were secured through personal connections, flawed systems were introduced due to contractual problems, and general morale within the military was compromised, the purges “will almost definitely produce a near-term impact,” the report indicated, while also suggesting that China’s military modernization will likely progress at a steady rate.
The report highlights China’s expansive and forceful demonstration of military strength in the Indo-Pacific area in support of territorial ambitions, including amplified troop deployments surrounding Taiwan anticipated in 2025.
The IISS report points out that China’s military expenditure growth has consistently outpaced that of the rest of Asia amidst an overall rise in global defense spending.
The report emerges after two of China’s leading generals were subjected to disciplinary scrutiny in what marks the most significant military cleanups in recent decades. Zhang Yuxia, an advisor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, came under investigation in January, and He Weidong was dismissed last October.
The purges have trimmed China’s senior military command from seven to a duo — Xi himself, the head of the Central Military Commission, and newly instated vice head Zhang Shengming. Xi made a notable public reference to the anti-corruption efforts in a speech to China’s armed forces earlier this month.
Corruption, sabotage, apprehension of a coup, or an eagerness for a major conflict? In the article “ Purge before the strike: why is Xi changing generals on the eve of a possible war for Taiwan, ” Viktor Konstantinov delved into the motivations and ramifications of Xi’s personnel reshuffle.