Paranoid power: Xi's purges reveal his insecurity

During his 13 years in power, Xi Jinping has tightened his grip on every lever of authority in China – the Communist Party (CPC), the state, and the military – while extending surveillance into nearly all aspects of life. Yet his latest purge of nine top generals, like those before it, shows that he still sees enemies everywhere.

After taking power in 2012, Xi launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign within the CPC and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The crackdown was initially popular, given the depth of graft and abuse in China’s one-party system. But it soon became clear that enforcement was selective – a tool not for transparency or reform, but for consolidating power in Xi’s hands. In Xi’s China, advancement depends less on competence or integrity than on personal loyalty.

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