The news that the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) most senior general Zhang Youxia is under investigation has triggered a frenzy of speculation outside China about what it means for Xi Jinping, the Communist Party and the future of Taiwan. He was one of the few senior PLA figures with combat experience, a veteran of the campaign against Vietnam in the late 1970s, the last time China fought a war. The announcement last Saturday that Zhang was under investigation led some western analysts to suggest that he had been plotting a coup against Xi’s leadership. A military parade in Tiananmen Square, Beijing in September 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of second World War. [ Xi Jinping vows ‘unstoppable’ unification of China and Taiwan following military drillsOpens in new window ]Political developments in Taiwan, where president William Lai is under pressure from the more Beijing-friendly opposition, could have a greater influence.

Source: The Irish Times January 28, 2026 01:05 UTC