Inner Turmoil in the PLA: What it means for India and Taiwan | Prof Sriparna Pathak

Описание: In this compelling interview with Ishan Dhar, Prof. Sriparna Pathak of O.P. Jindal Global University discusses the ongoing purge within China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the most recent instance being the removal of Zhang Youxia, one of China’s top military leaders and a key figure in the Central Military Commission (CMC) chaired by Xi Jinping.

The conversation examines why strategic branches such as the Rocket Force appear disproportionately affected, what these upheavals suggest about Xi’s deepening control over the military, and whether the purge reflects anti-corruption efforts, factional competition, or authoritarian power consolidation.

Prof. Pathak also assesses how the PLA's leadership churn could shape China’s posture toward Taiwan, what Taiwan may have learned from the Russia–Ukraine war, and how India should interpret these developments, particularly in terms of risk and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the limits of the so-called “thaw” in India–China relations.

Chapters-
0:00-1:02 Opening
2:09-3:43 Xi Jinping’s military purge
3:58-5:14 Why the rocket force faces disproportionate purges
6:01-9:05 The fall of Zhang Youxia
10:06-12:38 Party vs army: historical tensions inside the CCP
13:18-15:33 PLA leadership upheaval and combat readiness
16:04-18:19 Will PLA behaviour toward Taiwan change?
19:00-20:45 Lessons China might take from U.S moves on Venezuela and Greenland
20:55-22:42 What Taiwan learns from the Russia-Ukraine war and PLA turmoil
23:09-25:38 How should India view the PLA’s inner churn? Can we expect more restraint or adventurism on the LAC?
26:02-28:15 The ominous reality of the so-called “thaw” in India-China relations
28:33-29:59 What next from Beijing and the PLA in 2026?
30:01-30:23 Closing

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