Treason, coup plots and corruption: Behind Xi’s military purge 

Xi Jinping’s sacking of his top military general is the latest and most stunning move in a purge of China’s military and political elite.
Jan 29, 2026, updated Jan 29, 2026

China President Xi Jinping has just sacked his top military general – placing him under investigation and accusing him of “grave violations of discipline and the law”.

It’s the latest and most stunning sacking in a massive purge of the country’s military and political elite.

With China’s People’s Liberation Army in crisis, there are questions about what it will mean for China’s plans to take over Taiwan.

Today, expert in US-Asia Relations at Harvard Kennedy School and author of several books on China, Rana Mitter, discusses what the sackings say about Xi’s grip on power.

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Guest: Expert in US-Asia Relations at Harvard Kennedy School, Rana Mitter

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