Tensions simmer within China’s military powerhouse. February 26, 2026, marked a purge day when the NPC ousted 10 PLA officers from deputy seats, signaling peril ahead of the Two Sessions. The Diplomat’s insights forecast 2026 as a year of profound PLA disarray.
The hit list featured seasoned chiefs from army, navy, air force, and reserve forces. Two from the Taiwan-vigilant 73rd Group Army in Fujian joined three CMC heavyweights in exile. Silent on causes, the moves align with purges of linked predecessors.
Spotlight falls on navy duo Shen Jinlong and Qin Shengxiang, axed alongside retired Admiral Shen. Shen’s frontline ascent and Qin’s CMC insider status propelled naval expansion, but shadows from Zhang Youxia’s January downfall engulfed them.
This purge tsunami, tracing to 2025 and Zhang-Liu cases, fosters dread among officers. Taiwan-proximate forces face morale nosedives and command voids. Xi Jinping’s post-2022 corruption crusade enforces discipline yet risks hollowing out capabilities, with more fallout inevitable.