Beijing’s big political weeks traditionally mean full attendance, handshake photos and lots of carefully staged unity. This year, a noticeable number of active and retired military leaders were not in the room.

Who’s missing and why it matters

One of the most visible absences was General Zhang Youxia. China’s official media says Zhang has been under investigation since late January for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law." He is one of the highest-ranking officers swept up in a broader anticorruption effort tied to President Xi Jinping.

A campaign that never really stopped

Xi launched a large-scale anticorruption effort soon after taking power in 2012. State reports described it as an unprecedented campaign targeting both high-level "tigers" and lower-level "flies." Now, analysts say the campaign in the People’s Liberation Army appears to have expanded again.

The net is wider this time

According to security researchers, the current round goes beyond political commissars and the Central Military Commission. It now reaches operational commanders across the PLA’s five theater commands and multiple service branches. Chieh Chung, a researcher at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, says the sweep includes both the military’s functional institutions and field commanders.

Official messaging and timing

China’s military press has emphasized that corruption weakens combat effectiveness, calling it the biggest cancer eroding readiness. The PLA’s recent work report placed the anti-corruption drive on the same level as political rectification and loyalty work. The timing is notable: the PLA will celebrate its 100th anniversary in August 2027, a milestone when leaders will review decades of modernization.

What experts are saying

  • Tristan Tang of the Pacific Forum says the moves reflect Xi’s long-standing concerns about how the military is managed. He suggests many officers are being re-evaluated, which helps explain why many posts are vacant while investigations proceed.
  • CSIS’s China Power Project estimates roughly 100 senior PLA officers have been purged or potentially purged since 2022. That tally includes about 36 officers at the general or lieutenant general rank, and roughly 65 officers who are missing from key meetings.
  • Kunihiko Miyake, a former Japanese diplomat, notes that the shake-up in the Central Military Commission is dramatic - only two of seven members reportedly remain, including Xi. He compares the scale of these absences to the loss of very senior military posts in other countries.
  • In-Bum Chun, a retired South Korean lieutenant general, warns that frequent leadership changes can create uncertainty. Whether the removals are mainly anticorruption or political, they affect institutional health, morale and trust among officers.

What this means for Taiwan and operations

Taiwan and outside analysts are watching closely. Beijing still states that unification of Taiwan is a major objective, and some analysts point to growing determination to prepare for that eventuality. One repeated projection by a retired US admiral suggests the PLA could have the ability to mount a campaign against Taiwan by 2027.

Despite the leadership shake-up, experts say major PLA training and operations do not appear to have stopped. The Eastern Theater Command ran the "Justice Mission 2025" exercises around Taiwan in late 2025. Observers note that joint combat readiness patrols and other pressure tactics around Taiwan - often called grey zone activities - have continued into 2026. Alexander Huang, who studies strategic and wargaming issues in Taipei, says those activities suggest training and exercises have not been significantly disrupted.

Bottom line

Xi’s anticorruption campaign has entered a phase that targets high-ranking military figures and field commanders alike. The effort aims to tighten discipline and loyalty ahead of a major military anniversary, but it also raises questions about personnel stability and the internal health of the PLA. For Taiwan and regional watchers, the key question is whether the purges will change capability or only reshuffle leadership while operations carry on.