The careful selection by Chinese leader Xi Jinping of military officers for rapid promotion to key positions in the People’s Liberation Army may signal both a wish to consolidate the military behind him and a concern about emerging security challenges in China’s far western regions.
While the global focus in recent weeks has been on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and then the announcement of the AUKUS pact, the PLA’s personnel dynamics are an important indicator of China’s geostrategic priorities and Xi’s political status that should not be ignored.
China military watch | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)