In recent months news of purges at the very top of the PLA have gripped headlines, with many speculating as to the cause and outcomes of this series of high-profile oustings. Many have concluded that regardless of the cause -- coup attempt, rampant corruption, incompetence, paranoia -- the result is that Xi has tightened his control over an historically elusive and *opaque* arm of the party-state. 

Xi is an outside figure -- he is not a military man, he has seen no bloodshed, commanded no battles, won no victories. And yet he now towers above the PLA as its ultimate leader, his mandate served willingly and devotedly. 

How has Xi managed this feat where his predecessors have failed? The truth is the most recently publicised purges are just one in a long line of adjustments to the military that have allowed Xi Jinping to strengthen his grip on the PLA. In this episode we discuss those adjustments, how they differ to those that came before, and what the results of Xi's strategy may be.

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