“It’s quite jarring—these are very, very senior people,” says Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at Defense Priorities, a U.S. think tank. “It is almost unprecedented, the removals at this level.”
The recent purges of Chinese generals reflect the challenge that Mr. Xi faces to ensure he keeps the military in check. Mr. Xi understands well Mao’s dictum that, in China, “the party controls the gun,” says Dr. Goldstein, “but in practice it’s quite difficult because the military has so much power and prestige.” Mr. Xi, he says “wants this very complete control.”
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