Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption and discipline campaign within the People’s Liberation Army continues to drive expectations around additional high-level removals in 2026. In September, the Politburo expelled Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli from the party and military over corruption, disloyalty, and factionalism, following January investigations; these moves capped a wave that has removed or sidelined over 70 percent of uniformed Central Committee members and dozens of senior officers since 2022. The October 26–29 Fifth Plenum, centered on “full and rigorous party self-governance,” offers a key venue for further personnel decisions ahead of the 2027 Party Congress. Analysts note the campaign has simultaneously consolidated Xi’s control while raising questions about PLA readiness, with vacancies persisting across theater commands and the CMC.