In this episode of The War Lab we unpack one of the most consequential internal transformations in contemporary China: Xi Jinping’s sweeping purge of the People’s Liberation Army. Framed as an anti-corruption drive, the campaign has gone far beyond graft—targeting rivals and even Xi’s own protégés, hollowing out senior ranks, and remaking the PLA’s political psychology. Drawing on a detailed briefing, we trace the purge’s two waves, the procurement-centered scandals in the Rocket Force and Equipment Development Department, and the unprecedented removals inside the Central Military Commission.

We then probe the paradox at the heart of Xi’s strategy: consolidate absolute, personalistic control to secure the Party’s monopoly over force—yet in doing so risk shredding institutional memory, creating fear-driven decision paralysis, and undermining the very professionalism needed for joint, high-intensity operations. Historical echoes of Mao’s purges meet modern bureaucratic tools, producing a brittle mix of efficiency and instability. Finally, we consider the big questions for strategic stability: does the purge make a Taiwan timetable more or less likely? Will a politicized officer corps deter adventurism—or precipitate miscalculation?

Listen in for a clear-eyed analysis of how political survival, military modernization, and strategic risk are colliding inside the PLA—and why the outcome matters for the Indo-Pacific and global security.