Power, Paranoia, and the People's Liberation Army

China's top military leadership has been shaken by a new round of purges at the highest level, raising urgent questions about loyalty, corruption, and combat readiness. What do these removals, and especially the purge of Zhang Youxia, signal about Xi Jinping's grip on power, the health of the People's Liberation Army, and Beijing's appetite for risk abroad? We are joined by four seasoned analysts of China and its military, three of whom worked at the Central Intelligence Agency, to parse these questions and more. This episode is brought to you by Onebrief. Find out more at onebrief

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Power, Paranoia, and the People's Liberation Army is an episode from War on the Rocks by War on the Rocks.

This episode is 59:06 long.

This episode was published on Feb 19, 2026.

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