Politics Watch: Decoding the Convening of Enlarged Military Meetings
◎ Xi is likely seeking to strengthen his control over the military in a crucial period.
MILITARY

Two-thirds of Department Heads in China’s Top Military Body Have Been Replaced
◎ Two-thirds of department heads in the CMC have been replaced in the past 20 months.

China’s Military Gets a New Logistics Support Director, and Likely a New Missile Force Commander
◎ Purged military members are often replaced by people who owe their promotions to Xi.

Xi Now Controls All Armed Services and Two Key Military Departments
◎ Whoever controls the military sets the agenda in the CCP.

Kim Gets No Well-wishes From China on North Korea Anniversary
◎ We have reason to believe that N. Korea’s nuclear provocations are orchestrated by Xi’s factional rivals who are Kim’s Chinese political backers.

Jiang Zemin’s Ex-Secretary Not Invited to 19th Congress, Likely Sidelined
◎ Jia Tingan has been left out of the official list of delegates to the upcoming 19th Party Congress.

North Korea Nuke Test Challenges Xi at Crucial Period
◎ North Korea’s sixth nuclear test on September 3 took place just hours before Xi Jinping addressed leaders of BRICS countries in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen.

Xi Jinping Suddenly Replaces a Top Military Commissar
◎ The abrupt promotion of Miao by Xi is consistent with changing personnel trends in the Chinese military.

Hundreds of Chinese Generals Involved in Military Reshuffle
◎ The Chinese media is finally getting a better sense of the scale of Xi Jinping’s military reform.

Sino-US Military Agreement Could Tip Factional Struggle
◎ The new Sino-US military agreement could serve several purposes.
Deputy Director of the Centre for Geopolitics, Cambridge University
Deputy Director of the Centre for Geopolitics, Cambridge University
Deputy Director of the Centre for Geopolitics, Cambridge University