I wasn’t paying much attention to the goings-on in China. Not even the purging of 9 military people. I sort of expect things like that will happen here and there in a freedomless communist country.
But read this synopsis of Gordon C. Chang’s article at gatewaypundit.com, and see if it hits you the way it hit me:
Has Xi Jinping Lost Control of China’s Military — And China Itself?
- Tellingly, the most senior of the nine officers axed on the 17th was General He Weidong, the second-ranked vice chairman of the Commission and Xi Jinping’s No. 1 loyalist in the PLA. The general had gained prominence as Xi’s top enforcer in the military.
- Gen. He was not the only officer who backed Xi and has now been taken out of the military’s leadership ranks. Moreover, it is difficult to identify any Xi adversary who was purged in the last 18 months.
- It is unlikely, at a time Xi Jinping appears to be fighting for political survival, that he would remove his most important supporter in the military. It is far more probable that Xi has lost control of the People’s Liberation Army, especially because the removals strengthen Gen. Zhang, Xi’s adversary.
- China, by Thursday, could have a new leader. Or a new round of purges.
That certainly makes me wonder whether Xi’s days are numbered and, if so, who the new leadership will be/what it will be prepared to do.
Keep in mind that China is not just an economic power, it is a nuclear power as well.
This, obviously, is something to keep a close eye on. Let’s do so…and keep our fingers crossed that things do not turn very ugly very fast.
