Since 2013, Xi has purged high-level civilian and military officials 'who are not in his faction'

Joining Jean-Emile Jammine, Lynette H. Ong offers a scathing assessment of the recent purge of senior Chinese military and civilian officials, arguing that the event reflects a deeper pattern of authoritarian governance rather than a campaign to weed out corruption. She explains how the Chinese Communist Party under Xi Jinping has extended loyalty‑checks into the highest echelons of both civilian and military command, thereby signalling persistent insecurity in its centre: The current turnover must be understood in the context of factional realignment, institutional legitimacy and the unresolved question of succession. Ultimately, these moves reveal less about ideological renewal and more about the regime wielding absolute control.