China's Vanishing Generals: PLA Purge Impacts Military Readiness, Taiwan Operations

• Nearly 100 senior Chinese military officers, mostly generals, have been removed or detained since 2022, impacting the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
• The purge is a sweeping clean-out of the PLA's upper layers, affecting roughly half of its senior leadership, including commanders with direct operational relevance to Taiwan.
• The removals are not just an anti-corruption drive; they indicate a relentless tightening of loyalty, even for officers who rose under Xi Jinping's patronage.
• The mass clear-out has narrowed the pool of experienced candidates, making it difficult to promote new commanders and potentially affecting military competence.
• The study suggests China would struggle with large, complex military campaigns, especially joint operations, due to leadership gaps and command bottlenecks, impacting near-term Taiwan operations.