China’s Military Shock: ‘Missiles filled with water trigger Jinping’s top-level purge’

News Snapshot:

China’s armed forces faced severe corruption issues, including missiles filled with water instead of fuel and improperly sealed silo lids, according to US intelligence sources cited by Bloomberg. The revelations led Chinese leader Xi Jinping to remove over a dozen senior commanders in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who vanished for two months before being replaced in October. The corruption was particularly rampant in the Rocket Force, China’s primary military branch overseeing nuclear weapons. The purge has raised concerns about the nation’s ability to undertake major military actions, potentially impacting Xi’s push to rapidly modernize...