PLA Rocket Force

Force in Play

Rebuilding leadership after sweeping corruption purge

For eleven consecutive years, China has increased its military budget by single-digit percentages that nonetheless outpace its own economic growth. The latest installment—a 7% boost to roughly 1.91 trillion yuan ($275 billion), announced at the National People's Congress on March 5, 2026—sets a new record even as Beijing simultaneously lowered its gross domestic product growth target to a range of 4.5–5%, the least ambitious economic goal since 1991. The gap between military spending growth and economic growth has become the signature of a government that treats armed forces modernization as non-negotiable.

Updated Mar 5

Force in Play

Two consecutive commanders purged

Xi Jinping appointed all seven members of China's Central Military Commission in 2022. By early February 2026, only one remains—besides Xi himself. The investigation of Zhang Youxia, Xi's childhood friend and the PLA's most senior combat-experienced officer, marks the most dramatic purge of China's military leadership since the Cultural Revolution. Expert analysis confirms the purge has reached unprecedented scale: the senior ranks of the PLA are now described as "in tatters," with the CMC whittled down to just Xi and anti-corruption chief Zhang Shengmin.

Updated Feb 4