Ones and Tooze Trouble in the Chinese Military
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Jan 30, 2026 A look at recent top-level removals in China's military and what they signal about power and instability. Discussion of PLA spending, modernization and the 2027 readiness timeline. Examination of doctrinal fights, joint operations reforms and lessons drawn from Russia-Ukraine and drone warfare. A shorter segment on Lombardy and Milan's economic and cultural roles.
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Language of Charges Reveals Doctrinal Rift
- Purge language shifted from moral corruption to undermining the chairman responsibility system, indicating doctrinal and command disputes.
- Timing links to 2027 training cycles and a new five-year plan shaping investment priorities.
China's Modernization Is Systematic And Strategic
- China's military modernization is real and deep, emphasizing combined-arms, high-tech capabilities, and naval expansion.
- Spending growth and structural reforms aim to build a 21st-century force capable of contesting the U.S. around Taiwan.
You Learn To Fight Only By Fighting
- Combat experience matters uniquely: militaries truly learn to fight only by fighting, creating painful trade-offs.
- China studies Ukraine/Russia and drone mass-production lessons, accelerating doctrinal learning without having fought major wars.