HONG KONG/BEIJING: China's latest purge of senior military commanders is raising questions about how quickly the People's Liberation Army can prepare for a major conflict, even as President Xi Jinping appears to have tightened his control over the force.

Diplomats and security analysts are watching the shake-up as Beijing continues to modernize its armed forces and increase military activity around Taiwan and in disputed areas of the South and East China Seas.

The latest move came this week when China's ruling Communist Party expelled two senior generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, from the party and the military. Both had been under investigation since January and were removed from the Central Military Commission in August.

Zhang had been vice-chairman of the commission, China's highest military command body, and was widely regarded as Xi's closest military ally. He was also the son of a close friend of Xi's father. Liu had served as chief of the commission's Joint Staff Department.

Their removal is part of Xi's long-running campaign against corruption and political disloyalty in the armed forces. Since taking power in 2012, Xi has overseen investigations and purges involving senior officials across the party, government and military.

Chinese authorities accused Zhang and Liu of serious disciplinary violations, corruption, disloyalty, and factionalism. Official statements said their conduct had damaged the party's control over the military and harmed its political and combat effectiveness.

Singapore-based security scholar James Char said the purge could further increase Xi's influence over the armed forces. "We can expect Xi to continue exercising decisive control and influence over China's military affairs - and by extension, his dominance over the party-state, since whoever controls the People's Liberation Army controls the party," he said.

The leadership changes have left positions unfilled. Analysts say many second-line officers have been promoted into senior roles in the Central Military Commission, theatre commands and individual military services. Five of the seven seats on the commission's ruling committee are still vacant.

The vacancies and turnover have raised concerns about military readiness. Zhang was the most senior Chinese officer with combat experience. He fought in China's brief but bloody border war with Vietnam in 1979, the last time China fought a conventional war.

Analysts have questioned whether the shake-up could affect China's ability to conduct complicated military operations, particularly any conflict involving Taiwan. The People's Liberation Army has continued weapons tests, exercises and routine activities despite the upheaval.

China's initial anti-corruption campaign focused partly on military procurement, involving the Rocket Force, which controls China's conventional and nuclear missiles. It has also reached senior commanders and political officers.

The purge could also affect military-to-military contacts with other countries, as regional tensions remain high and military risks continue to grow. Diplomats consider those communications important as tensions increase across the region. China's Defense Minister Dong Jun remains in office, but he is not a member of either the Politburo or the Central Military Commission.

Zhang had represented China in military diplomacy. In 2024, he met then-US national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Beijing, a meeting seen as a sign of improving military communication. It remains unclear who will take over his former responsibilities.