President Xi Jinping made a rare public acknowledgment of recent military purges during a virtual address to China's armed forces, describing the past year as 'unusual and extraordinary.' Xi praised the military's efforts to combat corruption while the People's Liberation Army undergoes its most significant leadership overhaul in decades.

Two of China's highest-ranking generals, He Weidong and Zhang Youxia, have been removed from their positions as vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission. The purges have reduced the CMC's leadership from seven members to just two, with Xi himself and newly promoted vice chairman Zhang Shengmin remaining. Other senior figures including Li Shangfu and Miao Hua have also been expelled.

The military shakeup comes as China accelerates efforts to modernize its armed forces and project power internationally. The timing is particularly significant given that Zhang Youxia, one of the few remaining combat veterans, would have been a key decision-maker in any potential military action regarding Taiwan. The purges have affected multiple commanders, including leaders of China's nuclear deterrence forces.