China’s military purge snares top brass

China’s military brass took a hit on 18 March 2025 as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, He Weidong, landed in custody, part of a widening purge rattling the People’s Liberation Army. Sources say former logistics chief Zhao Keshi got swept up too, alongside a clutch of Fujian faction generals—once Xi Jinping’s turf. Picture a Beijing bunker, phones buzzing with whispers of betrayal; this isn’t just a cleanup—it’s a power quake shaking Xi’s grip, with loyalty and corruption in the crosshairs.

The fallout’s thick—He’s secretary’s under the lens for spilling secrets, while big names like the Western Theatre Command’s deputy and Eastern Theatre Navy’s commander vanish from their posts. Zhao Keshi’s exit stings hard; the ex-Nanjing Military Region boss ran budgets and supplies, a linchpin in PLA logistics. Fujian’s old guard crumbling feels personal for Xi—his power base there was rock-solid. Now, X posts hum with speculation: is he axing allies or crushing a mutiny?

This purge isn’t slowing down—deputy directors, military affairs heads, they’re all dropping. India Today pegs it as a “significant shift” in PLA structure, and it’s messy—resources, logistics, trust, all upended. A Shanghai cab driver might mutter about headlines over his radio, tales of generals in cuffs swapping places with traffic gripes. Analysts hint more heavyweights could fall soon, peeling back layers of a struggle that’s as much about control as it is about cash. The stakes keep climbing in Xi’s high-stakes shuffle.