BEIJING: China has purged top generals before, but the announcement that Zhang Youxia (pic), the vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), is being investigated for corruption shocked defence observers. Zhang, 75, is a vice-chairman of the CMC, the body overseeing China's military that is chaired by Xi. Despite the turmoil, "China's military readiness does not appear to have been retarded significantly and the PLA can carry on as normal", said James Char from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Will it affect China's Taiwan strategy? The PLA has increased the number and scope of military drills around Taiwan in recent years.

Source: The Star January 29, 2026 13:10 UTC