"Sir Keir Starmer is only one of the middle power leaders trekking to Beijing to renew relations. No one has forgotten China's increasing international forcefulness, its handling of the pandemic and its closer relations with Russia as war engulfed Ukraine. But the wildness of Donald Trump's first year back in power is spurring Canada, France and others to hedge their bets. This, not whisky tariff cuts, is what the British prime minister sought."
"No one is too mighty to be ousted in a system which, while stable, looks increasingly like a party of one. The Chinese leader's campaign has whittled the Central Military Commission, the top military body, from seven figures to just Mr Xi himself and the armed forces' anti-corruption chief. He had already toppled officials at all levels of the party, including potential heirs, brushed aside term limits and fostered a personality cult."
"Corruption in China had reached an astounding level when he took power. Graft in the PLA including paying for promotion and skimming in procurement appears both particularly entrenched and particularly risky. This may well help to explain the removal of rocket force commanders, overseeing China's nuclear and conventional missiles, in 2023. But Chinese media say Mr Zhang and Liu Zhenli, another top military leader, seriously trampled on and undermined the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the CMC chairman: Mr Xi."
Sir Keir Starmer joined other middle-power leaders traveling to Beijing to renew relations as Canada, France and others hedge due to US unpredictability under Donald Trump. Leaders see Beijing as forceful internationally, criticized for pandemic handling and closer ties with Russia. Xi Jinping has centralized authority, removed senior figures including top general Zhang Youxia, and reduced the Central Military Commission to himself and an anti-corruption chief. The PLA faces a broad anti-corruption drive linked to entrenched graft such as paid promotions and procurement skimming, prompting removal of rocket force commanders in 2023. Official accounts cite political offenses undermining Xi's ultimate responsibility.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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