China's highest-level military purge in decades indicates Beijing will accelerate anti-corruption work and prioritize regime security above other strategic goals; the hollowing out of China's top military advisors also deepens uncertainty over Chinese military intent toward Taiwan, which, when combined with foreign efforts to deter Chinese aggression, could raise the risk of a future conflict. On Jan. 24, China's top military news outlet, the PLA Daily, announced that Zhang Youxia, senior vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and former chief of arms procurement for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was being investigated for "serious violations of discipline and law." The editorial noted that Liu Zhenli, the head of the CMC Joint Staff Department (a role that involves formulating military strategy and assessing combat readiness), was also under investigation. The editorial asserted that both Zhang and Liu "undermined" the CMC Chairman (Chinese President Xi Jinping), "fostered political and corruption...
