Zhang Youxia’s relentless purge of Xi Jinping’s loyalists in the military has now extended to the PLA Navy and Air Force. Several key generals have reportedly been detained by disciplinary inspection authorities. Some are linked to the late General Xu Qiliang, who was suspected of attempting a failed comeback on Xi’s behalf. Xu died under suspicious circumstances. The most dramatic development is the second purge of the Rocket Force. This strategic branch of the PLA may have undergone its second cleansing in just two years—but this time, Xi Jinping wasn’t the one behind it.
