In the years since China’s leader, Xi Jinping, transformed the People’s Liberation Army, one of his crowning creations has been the Rocket Force, the custodian of China’s expanding nuclear arsenal.
But this week, Mr. Xi abruptly replaced the Rocket Force’s two top commanders with outsiders with no experience in the nuclear force.
The shake-up in the rocket force indicated that the force’s expansion has been accompanied by serious problems in its top ranks.
Suspicions of corruption or disloyalty to Mr. Xi may slow or complicate China’s upgrade of its conventional and nuclear missiles, several experts said.
“I imagine this could disrupt the modernization,” said David C. Logan, an assistant professor at the Fletcher School of Tufts University who studies the Rocket Force and China’s nuclear weapons modernization.
Persons:
Xi Jinping, Xi’s, Xi, Qin Gang, “, ”, David C
Organizations:
People’s Liberation Army, Rocket Force, Fletcher School of Tufts University
Locations:
China, Logan