Xi Replaces Leaders of China's Elite Nuclear Force

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Facts

  • PRC Pres. Xi Jinping on Monday elevated two senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers from the rank of lieutenant general to general, the highest rank in the military — appointing them to head the PLA Rocket Force.1
  • Former deputy navy chief Wang Houbin and party central committee member Xu Xinsheng were respectively named replacements for Gen. Li Yuchao who headed the unit, and his deputy Gen. Liu Guangbin, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.2
  • This is the first time in 40 years that the top role of the PLA Rocket Force went to someone from outside the unit, suggesting concerns over the upper tier of the branch managing the country's nuclear arsenal.3
  • It was reported last week that former commanders Li and Liu are currently under an anti-corruption investigation.4
  • This shake-up — the largest disruption to the PLA in years — is reminiscent of the 2014 removal of former deputy chairs of the Central Military Commission, Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong, who were removed and put on trial for corruption.5
  • The PLA Rocket Force has grown in recent years despite an overall downsizing of China's military — reflecting Beijing's strategy of using long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles to enhance its capabilities of nuclear deterrence and counterattack.6

Sources: 1China Daily, 2BBC News, 3Bloomberg, 4South China Morning Post, 5Sky News, and 6Wall Street Journal.  

Narratives

  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by South China Morning Post. This major reshuffle was necessary because many formerly reputable senior generals have degenerated into corrupt officials after moving to Beijing and engaging with defense-related companies. Entering its second decade, Xi's far-reaching anti-corruption campaign has kept rolling and he remains fully committed to tackling this issue at all levels.
  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by Spectator (UK). China’s government often uses corruption as an excuse for purging those it deems to be not loyal enough to the Community Party. Once Foreign Minister Qin Gang disappeared, it was only a matter of time before this type of military shake-up would happen.

Predictions