The title of the article at Foreign Affairs (FA) — “Xi the Destroyer” — speaks loudly of another Sinophobic piece by the US foreign policy magazine published by the Council on Foreign Relations.
FA opens the article by noting the “purge” of People’s Liberation Army general Zhang Youxia in what it termed a “Shakespearean moment in Chinese politics” — seemingly indicating a lighthearted mistake by chairman Xi Jinping.
Yet Xi’s decision is framed as “suggest[ing] a new level of intrigue.” This is based on the long time familiarity between Xi and Zhang and that their fathers were “comrades-in-arms during China’s ferocious civil war.” The authors postulate, “A relationship that long and deep is valuable in any setting, but especially in the vicious, low-trust world of Chinese politics.” Perhaps interesting, but also speculative and obviously intended to portray China and the Communist Party of China in an unflattering light.
One wonders about depicting Chinese politics as a “vicious, low-trust world” without providing any evidence to support such a vicious depiction.
The FA authors, Jonathan A. Czin and John Culver, had previously argued, “Xi wants to ensure he can employ violence with confidence, but Xi’s confidence seems to be the rarest and most precious commodity for an otherwise well-resourced military.” [Italics added] In other words, Xi wants the ability but lacks the confidence to employ violence.
The defamation of Xi is exemplified in the leading language of the FA authors:
But Zhang’s unceremonious dismissal also illustrates the depths of Xi’s ruthlessness in managing the PLA. It is one thing for a leader to show no mercy to his enemies; it is quite another for him to be so pitiless with his friends. [Italics added]
Given that the authors admit “what Zhang did—or didn’t do” is speculative and unclear, the authors segue and assert “what is clear now is Xi’s belief that power exists in its exercise.”
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In Xi’s words,
History has told us to stay on high alert against war, which, like a demon and nightmare, would bring disaster and pain to the people. History has also told us to preserve peace with great care, as peace, like air and sunshine, is hardly noticed when people are benefiting from it, but none of us can live without it.
This hardly sounds like a destroyer in the violence sense of the word. China has never been at war under Xi, and as a country not since the one-month conflict with Viet Nam in 1979.
The FA authors note that “PLA Daily declared that Zhang was removed for fueling ‘political and corruption problems that threaten the party’s absolute leadership over the armed forces and undermine the party’s governance foundation,’ and his actions ’caused immense damage to the construction of combat capabilities.’” Yet the FA authors brush that aside by assertion: “Given that corruption in the PLA is endemic, these claims are rightly seen by many outside observers as a pretext for removing Zhang rather than the true cause.”
Is it not preposterous to acknowledge that corruption is rife in the PLA and deny this might be a cause for Zhang’s dismissal — this despite the authors admitting their side can only speculate?
Xi has stated, “Building a fine Party culture and a corruption-free Party is a major political issue of great concern to the people. ‘Worms can only grow in something rotten.’” (Xi Jinping, On the Governance of China, [Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2014]: loc 350.)
And, “Facts prove that if corruption is allowed to spread, it will eventually lead to the destruction of a party and the fall of the government.” (Xi, On the Governance of China: loc 352.)
Under Xi’s tutelage the words have been put into action. Xi’s anti-corruption campaign, which began in 2012, had by 2025 investigated and found nearly five million officials guilty at all levels of government.
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As to what lies behind the removal of general Zhang and general Liu Chunli, writer Hua Bin sensibly cautioned, “My first advice is for folks to cool their jets and avoid reaching conclusions before more trustworthy information is available.”
He added, “The wise ones wait till the brain processes the data and exercises reason.”
Given the data and information forthcoming, Hua concludes:
If you put Zhang’s case in the context of the ongoing anti-corruption campaign within the military, a clear picture emerges.
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Last year alone, 2 Defense Ministers (the incumbent and his immediate predecessor), 3 members of [Central Military Commission] CMC, and 9 generals from the Rocket Force were arrested for corruption.
The anti-corruption campaign goes beyond uniformed military. Several senior executives of major state-owned arms contractors were similarly charged and dismissed.
These investigations inevitably lead to confessions and more rotten apples exposed. When you pull the string of the corruption chain hard enough, you take out the root – which has led to the most senior uniformed officers. Zhang oversaw PLA procurement for years.
Conclusion
One wonders how Westerners would respond to a similar rooting out of corruption in their political circles. Xi has never been to Epstein Island or been photographed with young scantily-clad or unclad women/girls. Why then does FA criticize the Chinese Communist Party for its anti-corruption campaigns while adults are preying upon American youth?
Ask yourself how have you heard about the MSS (China’s Ministry of State Security), and if so, have you heard about the malevolent activities of the MSS? Yet, one hears often about the illicit machinations of the CIA, Mossad, and MI6.
China is not committing or abetting genocide (unless one listens uncritically to Western disinformation about the Uyghurs); it is not warring against other states; it is not claiming Greenland; it is not kidnapping the leaders of other nations; it is not bombing fishing boats in international waters; it is not engaging in economic warfare with others.
China looks to have hit upon a diplomacy that respects the sovereignty of other nations.
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This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Kim Petersen.