Washington, DC – A report by the Jamestown Foundation suggests that a series of purges within the top ranks of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could lead to a shift in its strategy toward Taiwan. This shift would move away from planning a blockade or amphibious invasion and toward a combined firepower campaign or a focused, decisive strike (“decapitation”).
Nine Chinese army generals dismissed
In October 2025, the Chinese Ministry of Defense issued a statement dismissing nine generals. Most of them were associated with the Nanjing Military Region and the 31st Army, on charges of corruption and disciplinary violations.
These changes included removing officers linked to the networks of He Weidong and Miaohua. The Central Military Commission became entirely dominated by members of the “Shaanxi Gang,” a group with familial and professional ties to Shaanxi province.
Conflict within the Chinese army
Analyses suggest this purge reflects an internal power struggle within the military. This, coupled with Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, directly impacts plans for Taiwan’s unification. The absence of generals experienced in planning invasions or naval blockades may reduce the likelihood of such operations in the near future, while increasing the focus on concentrated firepower attacks, precision strikes, or sabotage operations.
Official statements and news reports from the People’s Liberation Army Daily confirmed that the purge aimed to strengthen party discipline. It also sought to prevent self-interest and redirect the military to be fully under the party’s control, emphasizing the need to adhere to the directives of the Central Military Commission and Xi Jinping.
Members of the “Shanshi Gang”
Analysts also note that the experience of some members of the “Shaanxi Gang” in the 1984 border war against Vietnam makes them more inclined to favor using combined arms fire or beheadings as means of military and political pressure on Taiwan, rather than relying on blockades or amphibious landings.
The US report explained that the recent purges confirm the trend toward centralized party control of the military. They also reshape the priorities of the People’s Liberation Army’s military strategy toward Taiwan. In the near term, the military approach may shift from conventional operations to more precise and targeted tactics, including combined arms fire or concentrated knockout strikes.
