Who are China’s next military leaders—and what do their promotions reveal about the struggle for control inside the PLA? In this episode, I examine the backgrounds of the newly promoted generals, the officers expected to join the next Central Military Commission, and why many of them appear to be connected not to Xi Jinping’s traditional military network, but to Zhang Youxia, Zhang Shengmin, and the Air Force faction associated with Hu Jintao. If these appointments continue, the next generation of PLA leadership could look very different from the one Xi spent more than a decade building.

Source: Why Xi Jinping May Not Control China’s Next PLA Leadership