Overview
- Xi presided over a Politburo study session on July 31 that called for stepped-up anti-corruption measures in the armed forces and insisted the military must obey the Communist Party’s command.
- He urged rapid adoption of unmanned systems, AI tools and networked information systems to build an “intelligent military system” and said combat effectiveness will be the main test of modernization.
- At the PLA’s 99th-anniversary reception on Aug. 1, Defense Minister Dong Jun reaffirmed vows to block Taiwan independence and restated commitments to high-quality modernization and stronger combat capabilities.
- Outside analysts and a London-based defence research centre have reported that the anti-graft purges have disrupted command cohesion, hampered training and degraded some aspects of operational readiness.
- U.S. intelligence reporting has shifted from a 2025 Pentagon warning about 2027 readiness to assessments that Beijing currently does not plan a 2027 invasion, a change that observers say points to Beijing favoring non‑force options while it presses reforms and tech upgrades.