Sword Of Loyalty: Decoding Xi Jinping's Perpetual Military Purge

A military plagued by “peace disease” and embezzled budgets cannot effectively execute complex operations around Taiwan or maintain a presence in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

By professionalizing the command structure and removing those who treat the PLA as a personal fiefdom, Beijing aims to ensure that when orders are given, the machine functions without friction.

Beyond the barracks, the purge serves a profound domestic purpose: reinforcing a specific brand of Chinese nationalism. The CCP has long positioned itself as the sole guardian of China's national dignity. When high-ranking officials fall, the state's narrative is clear: no individual is greater than the nation.

By investigating even those close to the leadership, the Party demonstrates a“self-revolutionary” spirit intended to boost public morale. This promotes a sense of national unity, which is increasingly vital as China navigates economic challenges and intensifying global pressures.

For the younger Chinese generation, these actions instill the belief that the path to China's“Great Rejuvenation” requires a military and a bureaucracy characterized by self-sacrifice rather than self-interest.

In the Chinese political system, dating back to Mao's time, the“gun” must always follow the“Party.”

The purge is the ultimate stress test for the loyalty of the nation's soldiers, bureaucrats, and state-paid officials. The investigation into officials such as General Liu Zhenli, head of the Joint Staff Department, proves that high office provides no sanctuary from political scrutiny.

This perpetual state of vetting ensures that institutional loyalty is not just a preference but a survival mechanism. By emphasizing adherence to Chinese civilization and Party ideals, the leadership aims to eliminate factionalism. The goal is a monolithic command structure in which the gap between the Party's intent and the military's execution is nonexistent.

One of the most strategic elements of the current crackdown is the targeting of “naked officials” (luoguan) -those whose families and assets are stationed in the West. In Beijing's eyes, these individuals represent a glaring vulnerability.

The dismissals of former defense ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe highlight this concern. Even in the absence of proven graft, officials with deep personal ties to Western educational or financial systems are increasingly viewed as potential conduits for foreign intelligence.

By purging these“naked” elements, the CCP is effectively de-risking its own leadership, both in the near term and in the long run. This ensures that those making the most sensitive decisions regarding China's future are fully invested in the domestic system, with no escape hatch to the West.

Parallel to the“naked official” crackdown is a broader campaign to insulate Chinese public and military life from Western ideological influence. The CCP perceives Western liberal values not just as a cultural difference, but as a strategic threat to Chinese development and the CCP's survival.