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China’s Military Quietly Pushed for Nvidia AI Chips, New Records Show
economy1 month ago

China’s Military Quietly Pushed for Nvidia AI Chips, New Records Show

Wirescreen analyzed 3,800 procurement records and found that China’s People’s Liberation Army repeatedly sought Nvidia AI chips—from A100 to H800—over six years despite U.S. export restrictions, across multiple military units and through various channels, including shell companies. Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang says the PLA isn’t reliant on Nvidia chips, but the report argues that U.S. technology was indeed part of China’s military capabilities. The findings also indicate China is expanding domestic chip capabilities (e.g., Huawei) to circumvent controls, and the data was shared with the Trump administration and Congress amid debates over tighter export rules for AI hardware.

via The New York Times|
#ai-chips#china#economy
China sentences two ex-defense ministers to suspended death amid anti-corruption purge
world2 months ago

China sentences two ex-defense ministers to suspended death amid anti-corruption purge

Two former Chinese defense ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery and graft; under Chinese law, the reprieve is usually commuted to life imprisonment without parole after the period, and both were stripped of political rights and personal property. The rulings underscore Xi Jinping’s broad crackdown on corruption within the PLA and the higher‑level political purge of senior military officials.

via Fox News|
#china#corruption#military
Ex-defence ministers face death sentences in China’s anti-corruption purge
world2 months ago

Ex-defence ministers face death sentences in China’s anti-corruption purge

Two former defence ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery by a Chinese military court, with no parole and lifelong loss of political rights and assets; the sentences are expected to be commuted to life imprisonment for good behavior, highlighting Xi Jinping’s sweeping PLA anti-corruption crackdown that has purged hundreds of senior officers since 2022.

via The Guardian|
#china#corruption#military-purge
Purges, Modernization, and the PLA: What Xi’s Rebuild Means for Taiwan
world2 months ago

Purges, Modernization, and the PLA: What Xi’s Rebuild Means for Taiwan

Brookings experts analyze how sweeping leadership purges and a rapid modernization drive are reshaping the PLA under Xi Jinping. Xi seeks a world‑class, party‑subordinate force by 2027, but has centralized power by purging top generals and shrinking the Central Military Commission. The PLA now fields advanced missiles, cyber and space capabilities, and global surveillance, yet has not fought since 1979, raising questions about readiness. Taiwan remains the central risk, but the panel rates the likelihood of U.S.–China conflict in the next decade at about 3/10, warning that policy shifts could raise that risk. They also note Western lessons from Iran—especially AI-enabled platforms and long‑range weapons—inform Beijing’s modernization. The takeaway: the PLA is formidable, but uncertainty around leadership dynamics and deterrence means vigilance is essential.

via Brookings|
#china#military-modernization#pla
Xi’s Military Cleanout Sparks PLA Readiness Questions
world4 months ago

Xi’s Military Cleanout Sparks PLA Readiness Questions

A CSIS report says Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption purge has touched the PLA’s upper ranks, with dozens purged since 2022 (36 generals and lieutenant generals officially; about 65 more missing or purged). In total, around half of the PLA’s top leadership positions have been affected, and 56 deputy theater commanders have been purged. Experts warn the purge could undermine readiness for complex operations, including a potential Taiwan invasion, as newer leaders may lack combat experience. Some see the purge as tightening Xi’s control and deterrence, but others caution it could hamper crisis management until the new leadership gains battlefield experience. The long-term impact depends on how quickly promoted officers gain necessary exposure and competence.

via CNN|
#china#military-purge#pla
Xi's Rewired PLA: A New Generation Under Party Control
world4 months ago

Xi's Rewired PLA: A New Generation Under Party Control

Analysts argue Xi Jinping has centralized control of the PLA, purged top officers like Zhang Youxia, and steered the military toward a generation of commanders loyal to the Party. While this may dampen near-term readiness for a Taiwan operation, it could produce a more cohesive, risk-aware and appetite-for-force decision-making in the longer term, potentially increasing regional volatility by the early 2030s as a tightly controlled command seeks to act with less internal dissent.

via UnHerd|
#china-military#military-reform#pla
PLA Leadership Shakeup Tests China's Military Readiness
world5 months ago

PLA Leadership Shakeup Tests China's Military Readiness

China’s sweeping anti-corruption purge has removed or investigated dozens of top PLA officials, including Gen. Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, leaving only Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin from the 2022 Central Military Commission. Analysts warn the purge is draining experienced leadership, potentially hindering coordination and readiness for complex operations like a Taiwan contingency, even as authorities frame the moves as strengthening party control. The long-term effect will depend on who can credibly fill the vacancies and stabilize the force.

via Business Insider|
#anti-corruption#china#leadership
Xi Jinping Tightens PLA Grip Through Purges, Risks Isolation
world5 months ago

Xi Jinping Tightens PLA Grip Through Purges, Risks Isolation

Xi Jinping has broadened purges in the PLA, shrinking the Central Military Commission from seven to two members including Xi and turning it into an instrument of his will. Investigations into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, plus ongoing actions against other senior officers, signal deep consolidation of power that could isolate Xi or leave him surrounded by loyalists. Analysts warn that sidelining risk-management voices may raise the chance of miscalculation as Xi pushes toward a 2027 Taiwan-ready modernization, with the remaining CMC members lacking recent military command experience.

via Institute for the Study of War|
#central-military-commission#military-purges#pla
Xi tightens PLA control as Taiwan strengthens defense with private–public partnerships
world5 months ago

Xi tightens PLA control as Taiwan strengthens defense with private–public partnerships

Chinese leader Xi Jinping expanded purges within the PLA, reducing the Central Military Commission to two members and centralizing command, raising concerns about military miscalculation. The US 2026 National Defense Strategy de-emphasizes direct competition with China and emphasizes burden-sharing to bolster Indo-Pacific defenses, a stance Beijing may read as space to press its regional aims. Taiwan is pushing defense hardening through private-public partnerships, a U.S.-backed Joint Firepower Coordination Center, and an integrated air-and-missile defense network, while its domestic politics shape spending. The PLA is advancing unmanned systems for amphibious operations, including UAVs, USVs, and upgraded bombers/missiles to complicate U.S. naval power. Regional dynamics span Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Europe, with travel advisories, economic coercion, espionage cases, and diplomatic tensions influencing cross-strait dynamics. TikTok’s US joint venture aims to localize data and retrain its algorithm amid ongoing security scrutiny.]

via Institute for the Study of War|
#first-island-chain#pla#taiwan
Xi’s Silent Purges Tighten the PLA’s Chain of Command
world5 months ago

Xi’s Silent Purges Tighten the PLA’s Chain of Command

Xi Jinping’s ongoing purges of senior and retiring PLA leaders have left the Central Military Commission unusually hollow, underscoring a Leninist system in which the CCP controls the gun and the military remains loyal to party patrons. Drawing on Xu Qinxian (1989) and Lin Biao (1971), the article argues the PLA has limited capacity to resist and that its dual party-military structure prevents autonomous action. The piece contends purges deter dissent, prevent institutional autonomy, and prepare for external crises by removing potential fifth-column threats, reinforcing Xi’s personal dominance over the armed forces.

via Engelsberg Ideas|
#dual-command#party-control#pla
PLA Purge Reshapes China’s Succession Outlook Ahead of 2027
world5 months ago

PLA Purge Reshapes China’s Succession Outlook Ahead of 2027

RSIS argues that although the purge of CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and CMC Joint Staff Chief Liu Zhenli is framed as corruption crackdown, the move signals factional reshaping within the PLA, raises questions about military cohesion and combat capability in the near term, and aims to steer civil–military relations and succession planning toward a Xi-centered leadership ahead of the 2027 Party Congress.

via S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS)|
#liu-zhenli#pla#succession
Purging China's top general rattles U.S. access to Beijing's military leadership
world5 months ago

Purging China's top general rattles U.S. access to Beijing's military leadership

Zhang Youxia’s unexpected removal as vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission cuts a key U.S. contact inside Beijing’s top military body and leaves the PLA with fewer veteran voices, potentially complicating crisis decision‑making as Xi Jinping tightens anti‑corruption purges and accelerates military modernization, while Washington seeks to maintain senior‑level channels to avoid miscalculation over Taiwan and other flashpoints.

via Reuters|
#central-military-commission#pla#us-china-relations
Xi’s purge of top generals could shift Taiwan risk calculus
politics5 months ago

Xi’s purge of top generals could shift Taiwan risk calculus

Vox reports that Xi Jinping is purging senior PLA leaders, notably Zhang Youxia, to consolidate power. Analysts say the shake-up could remove obstacles to a Taiwan invasion by weakening internal military resistance, potentially altering the timeline for any conflict, though near-term moves are uncertain as Beijing reshuffles command and the U.S. stance remains ambiguous.

via vox.com|
#china#military-purge#pla
Xi's military purge retools China's top brass ahead of Taiwan
world5 months ago

Xi's military purge retools China's top brass ahead of Taiwan

China announced investigations into Gen. Zhang Youxia and Gen. Liu Zhenli, signaling one of the biggest purges of the PLA leadership and a broad anti-corruption drive led by Xi Jinping. With only one of the six Central Military Commission members remaining active, analysts say the shake-up could undermine short-term readiness but strengthen Xi's control and loyalty in the long run, potentially influencing Beijing's Taiwan calculus amid ongoing drills and arms-sales pressure.

via PBS|
#central-military-commission#china#pla