Chinese military leadership was thrown into chaos after Chinese President Xi Jinping fired a slew of his top military leaders in an ongoing purge, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced Thursday.
Xi ousted nine military officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Friday after the government accused the officials of “serious violations of party discipline,” according to the Defense Ministry. The purge has reportedly shaken the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to its core as Xi moves to tighten his iron grip on power in the nation and its bureaucracy.
“In accordance with the Party regulations and national laws, the CPC Central Committee decided to expel the nine from the Party and transfer their suspected criminal matters to military procuratorial authorities for further review,” the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The Central Military Commission (CMC) “had earlier decided to strip them of their military status,” the Ministry said.
The purge marks the first time that a member of the Politburo, the second-highest committee in the Chinese government, fell out of favor with the Party since 2017, according to Bloomberg.
China has made its massive military buildup a top priority in its policy objectives, with the nation aiming to make an attempt at invading Taiwan by 2027, according to U.S. projections. The PLA is the largest standing army in the world, with over 2 million ground troops.
It is unclear what punishment may await the generals following their ouster.
The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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