PLA

Does Xi’s Purge of Generals Make It More Or Less Likely that China Would Attack Taiwan?

Brian Hioe
The Chinese government has continued to purge senior military officials. The latest round of purges leaves Chinese president Xi Jinping in sole operational control of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), with General Zhang Youxia and General Liu Zhengli placed under investigation over apparent violations. The fall from grace of the two generals has taken many by surprise, particularly as Zhang was a personal friend of Xi...
Cross StraitEnglishInternationalJanuary 2026Politics4 min read

Mere Days After the Inauguration, China Launches Military Drills Around Taiwan to Depict Lai as Provocative

Brian Hioe
China has again launched a set of military exercises around Taiwan. The drills take place around the north, east, and south of Taiwan, in the Taiwan Straits, and around outlying islands of Taiwan and are titled “Joint Sword,” signifying that these drills are following up from Chinese military drills in April 2023...
Cross StraitEnglishInternationalMay 20247 min read

One-Day Uptick in Chinese Military Activity Observed After Lai Transit

Brian Hioe
China launched another set of military drills after vice president William Lai returned from his trip to the US and Paraguay. Lai’s trip involved a stopover in San Francisco and New York City. Though the ostensible main purpose of the trip was to attend the presidential inauguration of Paraguayan president Santiago Peña, there was greater attention to the sensitivity of Lai’s transit through the US, given the possibility of a reaction from China...
August 2023EnglishInternationalPoliticsRegional Tensions6 min read

As China Uses Lai Trip as Pretext for Exercises, Will the Drills be Blown Out of Proportion Internationally?

Brian Hioe
The Chinese government has announced that it will conduct military exercises in the East China Sea starting today until the 14th, in an area approximately 500 kilometers away from Taiwan. Yesterday morning, the Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration announced a no-sail order lasting from 12 PM today until 4 PM on August 14th in the area the exercises are slated to take place...
August 2023EnglishInternationalPoliticsRegional Tensions6 min read