China's sweeping anti-corruption purge within the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has hollowed out senior command structures and could undermine near-term military readiness, according to a new report by the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In a report published on Feb. 24, a team of PLA experts said President Xi Jinping's campaign has resulted in an “unprecedented purge” of China's top military leadership, leaving serious gaps across the Central Military Commission (CMC), theatre commands and key operational departments.
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Leadership Vacuum At The Top
Citing data from a newly compiled CSIS database, the report said more than 100 senior PLA officers since 2022 have been dismissed or have gone missing. Of the six generals appointed to the CMC in 2022, only one remains, alongside Xi, who chairs the body.
“Approximately 52% of positions in the PLA leadership have been impacted,” the CSIS analysis noted, describing the scale of churn as “striking and extraordinary.”
The Jan. 24 announcement by China's Ministry of National Defense that top general Zhang Youxia and Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli were under investigation marked what the report called the “most dramatic move yet” in Xi's effort to overhaul the PLA.
The report said the CMC has been “organizationally decapitated,” with only one general, Zhang Shengmin, currently serving alongside Xi on China's top military decision-making body.
Near-Term Readiness At Risk
CSIS experts warned that the depth of the purge could impair operational continuity, especially for complex missions such as a blockade or amphibious assault on Taiwan.
“Rebuilding the PLA leadership will take time,” the report said, noting that promotions are constrained by grade requirements and experience thresholds. With dozens of theatre command–level and deputy-level officers removed, the pool of eligible replacements has narrowed sharply.
The authors argued that the leadership churn underscores “serious questions regarding the current state of PLA readiness,” particularly as China pushes toward ambitious modernisation targets.
Thomas J. Christensen of CSIS wrote that an amphibious invasion of Taiwan would be “an incredibly complicated and risky operation,” especially given growing countermeasures by Taiwan, the US and Japan. While Xi's distrust of the military may deter such an invasion in the near term, Christensen cautioned that other coercive options remain viable.
“A blockade of Taiwan would be relatively easy for the PRC,” he said, adding that Beijing has already rehearsed such operations in recent years.
Political Loyalty Over Performance?
The report situates the purge in a broader historical context, comparing it to post-1989 military restructuring but arguing that Xi's campaign is deeper and more encompassing.
According to the analysis, Xi is seeking not only to root out corruption but to ensure the PLA is “absolutely subordinate and responsive” to Chinese Communist Party control.
One expert warned that newly promoted officers may be reluctant to deliver candid assessments up the chain of command. “Future officers will have a strong incentive to only pass good news up the chain to Chairman Xi,” Christensen wrote, cautioning that this dynamic could be “dangerous for crisis management.”
Modernisation To Continue
Despite near-term disruption, CSIS assessed that China's long-term military modernisation drive is likely to continue. The report suggested that while readiness may suffer temporarily, the end result could be a more politically reliable — and potentially more capable — force once the leadership is reconstituted.
“The scope and depth of these purges showcase Xi's resolve to renovate the PLA,” the report said, even as it acknowledged that understanding of internal developments remains “at best partial.”
China's defence ministry has not publicly responded to the CSIS findings.
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