“The dictator’s paradox: Xi Jinping’s purges betray his fear”, First Post, July 08, 2026
“The defining paradox of dictatorship is that the stronger a ruler appears, the more frightened he usually is. In authoritarian systems, overwhelming displays of power are often admissions of insecurity. A confident ruler does not constantly eliminate his own loyalists. Only a ruler haunted by betrayal sees enemies everywhere. That is why Xi Jinping’s latest military purge deserves far greater attention than the routine headlines it has generated. Xi is not behaving like a leader in complete control. He is behaving like an emperor who suspects that control is slipping away.
The recent dismissal of six of China’s top generals is no routine administrative reshuffle. It is part of an extraordinary campaign that has penetrated the highest ranks of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). According to the China Military Tracker maintained by Anushka Saxena at the Takshashila Institution, Xi has purged at least 104 generals over the past four years, including 47 four-star officers. Sixty-two have been removed in the past year alone — the most extensive military cleansing since the Cultural Revolution.
Even more telling is the profile of those who have fallen. Five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission, whom Xi himself elevated at the 20th Party Congress, have already disappeared from power. Two vice-chairmen and three other members have been removed in barely three years. If even Xi’s own hand-picked commanders cannot survive, who can……..”
Read full article at firstpost.com
