China’s Purges Are Working as Designed: A Unique Discipline System Has Helped the Party Endure

Foreign Affairs | Staff Writer

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has intensified high-level military purges, placing General Zhang Youxia and General Liu Zhenli under investigation to consolidate political control over the People's Liberation Army. Since 2022, the Chinese Communist Party has formally purged three dozen generals and lieutenant generals, demonstrating that elite disciplinary actions are accelerating rather than destabilising the regime.

This systematic cleansing relies on a century-old rectification doctrine established during the 1942–45 Yan’an movement, which prioritises remolding and retaining cadres over outright execution. By forcing officials to submit annual self-criticisms, the party compiles permanent, standardized personnel dossiers that function as powerful information systems to deter internal dissent. Fear of these dossiers enforces absolute obedience among cadres. While this institutionalised self-revolution insulates Beijing from backlash by aggregating disciplinary responsibility, it fails to resolve the critical vulnerability of leadership succession. Ultimately, the regime's long-term survival depends on managing this transition without triggering systemic collapse.

Comment

Investigating General Zhang Youxia and General Liu Zhenli exposes a fundamental vulnerability in the Central Military Commission's command structure. By targeting the People's Liberation Army's top operational commanders, the Chinese Communist Party prioritises political compliance over continuity. This churn at the Joint Staff Department directly undermines complex, multi-domain command capabilities.

This dynamic mirrors the 1937 Soviet military purge. The execution of Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky severely degraded Red Army leadership before World War II. While Beijing's rectification process avoids executions, the resulting climate of fear paralyses initiative within the Eastern Theater Command. Consequently, the Joint Staff Department remains constrained by a command culture that penalises independent decision-making during Taiwan Strait contingencies.

Strategic Question for Discussion

How will the disruption of the Joint Staff Department caused by the investigations of General Zhang Youxia and General Liu Zhenli affect the Eastern Theater Command's ability to transition from highly centralised control to decentralised execution during a Taiwan Strait contingency?

The pattern of CCP rectification suggests that political control will remain the absolute priority, even at the expense of operational flexibility. Consequently, the Eastern Theater Command is likely to struggle with decentralised execution, as local commanders will hesitate to take initiative without explicit approval from the Central Military Commission. This trajectory indicates that while the PLA may achieve high technical readiness, its command-and-control apparatus will remain structurally rigid during high-intensity operations.

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