Military Purges and Authoritarian Escalation Risks (warontherocks.com)

• Extensive purge of China's Central Military Commission since 2022.
• Transition from professional military meritocracy to political sycophancy.
• Increased risk of war due to lack of dissenting strategic analysis.

"The systematic removal of top-ranking generals within China’s Central Military Commission indicates a move toward absolute political control over the armed forces. Since 2022, five of the six CMC members have been purged, including Zhang Youxia. While intended to enforce party loyalty, such purges often degrade combat effectiveness by removing experienced commanders and fostering a climate of fear. This centralization of command in a single executive increases the risk of irrational decision-making and aggressive military adventurism by removing internal checks and balances."