PLA Leaders Lay Low Amid Military Purge
Udumbara
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China’s military commanders kept a low profile during the Chinese New Year as ongoing purges reached the highest level of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), insiders and observers of the PLA told The Epoch Times.
The insiders and analysts who spoke to The Epoch Times used pseudonyms or asked to be identified only by their surnames because of fears of reprisal from authorities.
Xu, an insider of the PLA, said many senior military leaders opted to stay at their stations instead of going home as they usually would.
“During the Chinese New Year, military officers at all levels were filled with anxiety, fearing they would become targets of purges. They kept a low profile, avoiding long trips, including visiting relatives and friends or returning to their hometowns. Some even advised their wives to limit their shopping trips,” he said.
According to Xu, the officials celebrated the holiday with their troops, a scene which he says is usually seen amid tensions within the military.
“From the lowest level to those in theater commands, everyone was cautious and deliberately kept their actions small,” he said.
Liu, who lived in a PLA armored force compound in Beijing, said he heard that CMC leaders stayed in Beijing during the New Year.
Wang, a PLA researcher, said the investigations of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli had been rumored within the military for nearly two months ahead of the former announcement.
Wang cited a military source from Inner Mongolia, saying training was suspended for a month at Zhurihe, a military base at the Xilingol League of Inner Mongolia, for no clear reason, adding that the suspension is likely linked to the shakeups of the PLA leadership.
Because large training exercises at Zhurihe often involve joint actions of different military branches, they require approval from the General Office of the CMC or more senior military officials, Wang said.
Amid changes at the CMC, lower-level officials tend to slow down and do less rather than risk making mistakes, he said.
Chinese military researcher Chen Guoming also said military units tend to act cautiously amid high-level shakeups.
“The changes in the PLA leadership had a great effect on lower levels,” he said. “Nobody knows for sure where the command authority for the Eastern Theater Command, which is responsible for the Taiwan Strait, and the Central Theater Command, which is responsible for defending Beijing, actually lies,” Chen said.
Military researcher Ma Ke said the downfall of senior PLA leaders has always affected lower levels during the PLA’s decade-long anti-corruption drive.
“With a new official in charge, it’s uncertain whether orders will be successfully delivered to the grassroots level. Soldier training involves funding and approval procedures, and must also be reported to the General Office of the CMC,” he said.
