The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer Does China’s Military Purge Raise the Risk Over Taiwan? (with Evan Osnos)
Jan 29, 2026
Evan Osnos, New Yorker staff writer and China expert, joins to unpack a sudden purge at the top of China’s military and what it signals about power and loyalty in Beijing. Short takes cover the rare removal of a senior general, debates over how that change alters Taiwan risk, and what tightening political control means for China’s institutions and global posture.
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Seismic Military Purge Signals Political Control
- Zhang Yuxia's removal is historically seismic and signals Xi's tightening grip on the military.
- The PLA editorial framed the purge as removing ideological "toxins," not just corruption, showing political motives.
Meeting That Revealed Zhang's Demeanor
- Jake Sullivan met Zhang Yuxia in August 2024 and found him direct, confident, and off-script.
- Zhang said "we don't want to go to war, but we're ready for war," a line Jake had never heard from other Chinese leaders.
Systematic Purges Consolidate Xi's Power
- Xi has pursued successive purges across party, oligarchs, society, and now the military to consolidate power.
- Removing senior military figures leaves Xi as the unchallengeable center and warns elites nobody is safe.