Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping expanded military purges to include two of the most senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in a statement posted on X on January 31, 2026, between 3:46 PM and 5:46 PM UTC. The purges target top military leadership, with ISW noting the action risks isolating Xi while consolidating his control, as detailed in their X post (https://x.com/TheStudyofWar/status/2017598748742799667). No official Chinese government confirmation or identities of the officers were reported in the two-hour window. This development follows earlier reports of PLA advancements, including the Type 076 LHD 51 Sichuan exiting drydock in Shanghai earlier on January 31 carrying a UAV mockup, per satellite imagery analysis, though no direct connection to the purges was stated.
