Xi’s Military Purge May Improve PLA Readiness, Not Reduce It

China's sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, arrives in Hong Kong waters on July 7, 2017. Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

Many “China watchers” have speculated that Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s removal of nine senior defense officials over the past month may have reduced the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) combat readiness.