China abruptly replaces commander of elite Rocket Force military unit, which handles country’s conventional and nuclear arsenal, amid reports of a corruption probe and alleged armed forces purge
China's military, known as the People's Liberation Army, is under the Chinese Communist Party, but in recent years, Western media outlets claim that President Xi Jinping has been trying to consolidate his powers and is exerting more control on the country's armed forces.
Xinhua's article on Monday also referred to Xu Xisheng as the Rocket Force's new political commissar, overseeing political discipline and execution of Communist ideology. Xu had previously served with the Southern Theatre Command Air Force and was also promoted to the rank of general. The lack of detailed information about such changes is not unusual in China, and as Lowy Institute's Richard Mc Gregor wrote on social media, the latest move is a"transparent example of the utter opacity of Chinese elite politics".
The same day, the military department responsible for buying China's weapons launched a crackdown on corruption procurement practices dating back years. After securing an unprecedented third term as the country's leader and chairman of the CCP earlier this year, Xi rolled out a new policy seeking to further modernise China's military strategy and capability by 2027.
SCMP, however, noted that Zhang’s promotion"went against unwritten party norms" as it was previously required for members of the Central Committee members to retire before they turned 68. China has committed to a defensive nuclear strategy, and pledges to"no first use" of nuclear weapons. It says it will also not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states or nuclear weapon free zones.
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