Xi’s Military Purges Make US Deterrence More Urgent
Xi's purge of 52% of senior PLA leadership removes institutional checks on unilateral military decision-making and consolidates his personal authority over the armed forces, materially raising the risk of sudden kinetic action against Taiwan without consensus or restraint from senior commanders. This shift in PLA governance directly affects Australia's core alliance dependence (Pillar 7) and maritime defence posture (Pillar 6), as it increases the probability of a Taiwan contingency that would demand Australian choice on AUKUS commitment and Indo-Pacific operations.
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