Overview

• Three of seven seats on the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission are vacant following the unexplained disappearances or detentions of senior officers.
• Admiral Miao Hua has faced investigation since 2024 for serious disciplinary violations and General He Weidong’s absence from public duties suggests he is under similar scrutiny.
• According to the Jamestown Foundation, about two dozen senior PLA officers and defence-industry executives have been probed since 2023 in Xi’s long-running anti-corruption campaign.
• In July the Central Military Commission issued new rules designed to eliminate “toxic influences” and strengthen the authority of political officers throughout the PLA.
• China continues to add roughly 100 nuclear warheads per year while pursuing Xi’s goal to modernize the armed forces and develop a capability to invade Taiwan by 2027.