Toward Decline
Air Force Ascendant: Senior PLA Leadership Changes and Their Implications
Why it matters
PLAAF ascendancy in CMC leadership indicates the PLA is reorganizing its operational doctrine toward air-centric warfare, directly relevant to Taiwan contingency planning and the Indo-Pacific military balance that underpins Australian alliance posture and regional stability. The shift suggests China's military brass is preparing for contested-air scenarios, raising the probability and presumed intensity of kinetic Taiwan action if leadership pursues it.
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