What China’s new PLA leaders reveal about Xi’s unfinished military rebuild
While newly promoted full generals have taken charge of key commands, many other senior roles appear to be filled by acting or unconfirmed officers amid a sweeping anti-graft drive, observers note.
Source excerpt
BEIJING: Lower-ranking officers have emerged in some of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) most senior roles without Beijing publicly announcing them, with analysts saying the unusual move suggests President Xi Jinping is far from rebuilding the military’s top brass amid a sweeping anti-corruption purge.
They add that the reliance on acting or unconfirmed leaders also points to a narrower pool of trusted officers and uncertainty over who will ultimately survive the transition, even as elevating experienced insiders helps maintain day-to-day continuity, with newly promoted full generals taking charge of key commands.
“The PLA is restoring day-to-day command and organisational continuity faster than Xi Jinping is rebuilding confidence in the officers now filling senior roles,” Nathan Attrill, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told CNA.
“Xi is ensuring that key organisations remain operational by elevating deputies and other senior officers, but he remains cautious about granting many of them permanent appointments, full rank and the institutional authority that comes with formal confirmation.”
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