By removing a top general amid an ongoing purge, has Xi Jinping made China's military less effective?

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s decision to place the country’s top-ranking general under investigation is a stunning move that leaves Xi virtually alone at the top of the military hierarchy – raising deep questions about the implications for the world’s largest armed forces,

While Beijing has not issued any public statement, the developments coincide with an ongoing purge of senior PLA officers, adding to questions about internal stability.

What does seem clear is that Zhang’s purge — the most dramatic in a wave of military purges that has unfolded since 2023 — has raised questions about China’s strategy toward Taiwan, at a time when China’s military has been severely diminished by Xi’s anti-corruption campaign.

(Corrects Jan 24 story to remove incorrect reference to Zhang's Moscow visit in November as last public appearance in paragraph 7, adds December appearance) Jan 24 (Reuters) - China's most senior general is under investigation,

Zhang, 75, and Liu, 61, are the vice-chairman and member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) respectively.

The Chinese military has claimed rapid advances in drone warfare, showcasing test results that one soldier could handle 200 drones using AI technology.

In October 2024, Chinese Coast Guard vessels ventured into the Arctic Ocean for the first time, patrolling 440 miles southwest of Alaska alongside Russian ships within Russia's Exclusive Economic Zone.