What does the fall of PLA top brass Zhang Youxia say about Beijing’s Taiwan plans?

Beijing’s bold move to remove top generals accused of corruption

reflects its strategic assessment that overhauling the armed forces is more urgent, and that the issue of Taiwan

can wait, according to military analysts.

The investigation into China’s top commanders, Zhang Youxia

, has left the Central Military Commission (CMC)

, the country’s highest military command body, with just two members at present – President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the CMC, and vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin

, who oversees the anti-corruption drive within the military.

This has raised questions about the battle readiness of the world’s largest fighting force and Beijing’s ability to mount large-scale military operations, such as one targeting Taiwan.

However, most analysts interviewed by the South China Morning Post agreed that any disruption would be short-lived.

They said the shake-up reflected Beijing’s calculation that although cross-strait ties had deteriorated under the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, the risk of the island making a decisive move towards formal independence remained contained.

Meanwhile, under President Donald Trump, the United States appears keen on preserving the Taiwan Strait status quo while prioritising consolidation of its position in the western hemisphere.