In this video, we examine the stunning fall of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and what it reveals about Xi Jinping’s unprecedented military purges. Far from being driven by corruption, these moves target political loyalty and control. Xi has now removed as many CMC vice chairmen as Mao did—yet no senior general has ever openly resisted. Why? Through a modern system of total surveillance, secret reporting, mutual criticism, and deliberate atomization, Xi has turned the PLA into isolated islands of fear. No horizontal alliances can form; everyone is watched, no one trusts anyone. This isn’t preparation for a Taiwan invasion—it’s routine power consolidation, echoing Stalin’s playbook. The deeper question: in such a system, obedience becomes the only rational choice, even for battle-hardened commanders. Real insight into how absolute power really works in today’s China.
