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China experts raise alarms over Xi’s sweeping military purge

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China experts raise alarms over Xi’s sweeping military purge

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China’s sudden removal of senior military leaders, including allegations that a top general leaked sensitive information to the United States, is raising new questions about internal turmoil inside the Chinese Communist Party and the readiness of the People’s Liberation Army.

Experts told Fox News Digital that while many details remain unclear, the scope of the apparent purge points to mounting instability under Chinese President Xi Jinping, with potential implications for regional security and rising tensions around Taiwan.

Beijing has not publicly confirmed espionage allegations, but reports published in Western media describe an extraordinary shakeup within China’s military leadership. Analysts caution that the lack of transparency makes definitive conclusions difficult, yet say the pattern of removals itself signals a system under strain.

TAIWAN GENERAL WARNS CHINA’S MILITARY DRILLS COULD BE PREPARATION FOR BLOCKADE OR WAR, VOWS TO RESIST

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shakes hands with delegates attending the first People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force Party congress during his inspection of the PLA Rocket Force, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 26, 2016.  (Xinhua/Li Gang via Getty Images)

Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the non-partisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the developments appear driven by political control rather than an imminent move toward conflict.

“These unprecedented purges reflect Xi’s clear focus on control and cohesion — ensuring the People’s Liberation Army is politically reliable, centralized and obedient before it can be tasked with high-risk operations,” Singleton told Fox News Digital.

“This does not mean conflict is imminent, but it does show how seriously Xi treats the prospect of having to use the military in the coming years.”

Singleton said some observers have compared the developments to past authoritarian crackdowns, but argued a different historical parallel is more instructive.

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“Some analysts are comparing these developments to Stalin-era purges in the late 1930s. There certainly are echoes, but I think the closer analogy is Moscow in 1979 — when Soviet political leaders pushed for the invasion of Afghanistan despite strong military warnings that it would be unsustainable and devolve into a costly guerrilla war.”

He warned that China may now be facing a similar disconnect between political leadership and military reality.

“Xi’s purges may reflect a similar dynamic: political urgency to speed up invasion planning over Taiwan colliding with a military that senior Chinese officers know isn’t ready yet.”

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviews the troops during his inspection of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army PLA garrison stationed in the Macao Special Administrative Region, south China, Dec. 20, 2024. (Li Gang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

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China expert Gordon Chang, told Fox News Digital the uncertainty surrounding the purge highlights the depth of instability inside China’s system.

“There’s no way to make sense of this right now,” Chang said. “All we can say is that the situation is fluid, that the regime is in turmoil, and probably the People’s Liberation Army is not ready to engage in major operations because dozens of senior officers have been either arrested or removed.”

“This is an extraordinary situation,” he added. “And this means that China, the country itself, not just the regime, but the country itself is unstable.”

Chang also addressed reports alleging that a senior Chinese general was accused of providing sensitive nuclear-related material to the United States, claims that have not been officially substantiated by Beijing.

“The Wall Street Journal reported that the Ministry of National Defense has accused General Zhang Xiaoxiao of providing core technical material on China’s nuclear weapons to the United States,” Chang said.

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“That is really extraordinary. It also doesn’t sound right, because General Zhang just would not have that many opportunities to pass that type of material to the U.S.”

Chang emphasized that his assessment was speculative. “This is just a guess, this is speculation,” he said, adding that such accusations may serve as justification for harsh internal punishment rather than reflect confirmed espionage.

He also pointed to past intelligence failures to underscore his skepticism. “We know that the CIA has not had a good track record in China,” Chang said, noting that about 30 CIA assets were executed after being uncovered several years ago.

“It would be stunning that the CIA has been able to reconstitute itself and get that type of material from one of the most senior figures in the Chinese regime,” he said. “At this point I have to say that trust but verify.”

SKIES AT STAKE: INSIDE THE U.S.–CHINA RACE FOR AIR DOMINANCE

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Members of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy march during the rehearsal ahead of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, Sept. 3, 2025. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

The continued removal of high-ranking officers, Chang argued, points to deeper fractures within the Communist Party itself.

“We are seeing a whole class of leadership being junked,” he said, noting that the detained general was the most senior uniformed officer in China and second only to Xi Jinping within the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission. “To arrest and detain him is extraordinary by itself.”

Singleton said that while purges may weaken China’s military in the short term, they could create greater risk over time.

“Purges can degrade near-term readiness, but over the long-term they increase political control over the military and reduce dissent, easing the path for riskier decisions down the line,” he said.

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Turning to Taiwan, Chang said a deliberate invasion remains unlikely given the current turmoil and the complexity of such an operation.

“I have never thought it was likely China would start hostilities by invading the main island of Taiwan,” he said, citing the challenges of a combined air, land and sea assault and the instability inside the military.

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The military exercises mobilizing the Chinese PLA Navy, Army, Air Force and the Chinese Coast Guards, which are deemed as a punishment to Taiwan’s call for independence. (Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Still, he warned that instability does not mean reduced danger. “Although it’s unlikely that China would start hostilities deliberately, it’s highly probable that China will end up in a war,” Chang said.

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“Not like it’s China deliberately starting one, but China stumbling into one.”

“I don’t think Xi Jinping is in a position to de-escalate a situation because of the turmoil in the Chinese political system,” he added.

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U.S. President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on Oct. 30, 2025 in Busan, South Korea. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Taken together, analysts say the military shakeup underscores a growing paradox inside Beijing: as Xi tightens political control, instability may deepen rather than fade, increasing the risk of miscalculation at a time of heightened regional tension.

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China’s embassy spokesperson in Washington D.C., Liu Pengyu, told Fox News Digital, “The Party Central Committee has decided to open disciplinary and supervisory investigations into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli on suspicion of serious violations of discipline and law. This decision once again underscores that the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission maintain a full-coverage, zero-tolerance approach to combating corruption. Corruption is a major obstacle to the progress of the Party’s and the nation’s cause. The more resolutely the people’s armed forces fight corruption, the stronger, more united and capable they become.”

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Venezuelan opposition leader seized by armed men after being released from jail

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Venezuelan opposition leader seized by armed men after being released from jail

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María Corina Machado said Monday that a Venezuelan opposition leader was seized in Caracas shortly after being released from jail.

Machado wrote in a post on X that Juan Pablo Guanipa, a key ally, was kidnapped by heavily armed men in civilian clothing in the Los Chorros area of the capital.

“We demand his immediate release,” she said.

Alfredo Romero, the president of the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal, said 35 political prisoners were released on Sunday, including Guanipa, who was initially arrested in May.

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US MOVES FAST TO REOPEN VENEZUELA EMBASSY AFTER YEARSLONG FREEZE

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and Juan Pablo Guanipa participate in an anti-government protest on Jan. 9, 2025, in Caracas, Venezuela. (Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images)

Reuters reported that Venezuelan authorities were seeking court approval to place Guanipa under house arrest.

The country’s Public Ministry alleged that he violated the terms of his release but provided no additional details and did not say whether he had been re-arrested.

Guanipa’s Primero Justicia party said on X that he was forced into a silver Toyota Corolla during the incident.

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Juan Pablo Guanipa, opposition leader and recently released from prison, visits relatives of political prisoners near the El Helicoide detention center in Caracas on Feb. 8, 2026. (Jesus Vargas/picture alliance via Getty Images)

“We hold Delcy Rodríguez, Jorge Rodríguez, and Diosdado Cabello responsible for any harm to Juan Pablo’s life,” the party wrote. “We call on the international community for the immediate release of Juan Pablo Guanipa and for an immediate and unconditional end to the persecution of the opposition.”

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Rodríguez has been serving as the interim president of Venezuela since the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores earlier this year.

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Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez speaks during the presentation of the 2025 budget bill at the National Assembly in Caracas on Dec. 3, 2024. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

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In late January, President Donald Trump said Venezuela was releasing political prisoners at a “rapid rate,” praising the move as a “powerful humanitarian gesture” by the country’s leadership.

An estimated 687 political prisoners remain in custody in Venezuela as of Feb. 2, according to Foro Penal.

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Tehran 'will continue to massacre people' if not stopped, Iranian chess grandmaster tells Euronews

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In an interview for Euronews’ flagship morning show Europe Today, Iranian chess grandmaster Mitra Hejazipour urged international action over Iran’s deadly protest crackdown, backed Reza Pahlavi and warned US-Iran talks are a dead end.

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Kid Rock’s ‘All-American Halftime Show’ Goes Light on Politics, Feeling More Like an Old CMT Special Than Super Bowl Protest Event

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Kid Rock’s ‘All-American Halftime Show’ Goes Light on Politics, Feeling More Like an Old CMT Special Than Super Bowl Protest Event

Turning Point USA clearly saw Bad Bunny‘s Super Bowl halftime booking as an affront to the nation that needed to be met by an alternative event for conservative viewers, but the “All-American Halftime Show” opted not to offer much in the way of provocation in return. Rather than come off as a protest event, the 35-minute program offered a set of mild, largely non-political performances that could have been mistaken for a vintage CMT or Nashville Network special — even from Kid Rock, who was on his very best behavior during a quick two-song appearance.

Bad Bunny? Never mentioned, or even alluded to… which was the case for anything else that might have raised much of an eyebrow or a stir, in a show that could have aired at just about any time in the 21st century, aside from the closing montage of Charlie Kirk imagery.

Without an announcer to offer context, there was no indication of where the performances were being broadcast from, or if they were taking place in real time. According to sources, the show was pre-taped in Atlanta.

Brantley Gilbert was up first, followed by fellow country artists Gabby Barrett and Lee Brice, before Kid Rock closed things out in an enclosed setting where a crowd of what looked to be about a hundred fans stood cheering on either side of a huge thrust ramp that extended across the studio floor.

Politics were limited to Brice singing “Real American,” which extols a place where “everything’s made in the USA,” and Brice premiering a brand new song, “Country Nowadays,” in which he complains about seeing “a picture of a flag up in flames while people cheer,” along with making the statement, “little boys ain’t little girls.”

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Brice said, “Charlie gave people mics so they could say what’s on their mind. This is what’s on mine.” The chorus of his new song: “Say I’m some right-wing devil ’cause I was down-south-Jesus-raised / It ain’t easy being country in this country nowadays.”

Four Black men stood on stage to introduce the main attraction — “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our brother, Robert Ritchie” — in a fleeting show of people of color.

Kid Rock started with some literal firepower, at least in the pyro department, as he sang an inoffensive version of his venerable rap hit “Bawitaba.” Much of the performance appeared to be pre-recorded, as he only raised the mic to his mouth for about half of the lyrics, if that, as widely noted on social media. But he seemed to be fully on-mic as he sang the closing ballad, “Till You Can’t,” a cover of a sentimental country hit from a few years back by Cody Johnson.

In his only spoken remarks, Kid Rock introduced “Till You Can’t” by saying that he was awakened one night with the Johnson song in his head and felt there was “a verse that still needed to be written for this song.” He then sang his self-penned addition, which was effectively an evangelical altar call: “There’s a book sitting in your house somewhere that could use some dusting off / There’s a man who died for all our sins hanging from the cross / You can give your life to Jesus and he’ll give you a second chance / Till you can’t.”

At song’s end, the camera moved over to big-screen photos of the late Charlie Kirk and his widow, Erika Kirk, who is now in charge of TPUSA, followed by a fade to darkness and closing credit that still did not offer many hints where the performance was taking place.

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The show began with Gilbert’s guitarists offering “The Star Spangled Banner” in the tradition of Jimi Hendrix, before the singer himself emerged and led the band in a style closer to hard rock than classic country, as has been his custom. Barrett stuck closer to a Carrie Underwood style of country, starting with her breakout hit “I Hope” and following it with “One of the Good Ones.” Brice sang his hit “Drinking Class,” which includes the chorus “If you gotta label me, then label me proud / ‘Cause I belong to the drinking class,” a hit that conflates patriotic self-esteem with “rowdy” bar behavior and alcohol consumption.

A snafu arose when TPUSA announced on its X feed that the show would not be broadcast there, and viewers should turn their attention to the org’s YouTube channel. There, viewership was shown as peaking at just over 5 million when Kid Rock came on at 9:35 p.m. ET. With the third quarter of the Super Bowl having already begun after Bad Bunny’s shorter halftime performance and while Kid Rock was still on, YouTube viewers for the “All-American Halftime Show” dipped slightly to 4.4 million by the time the headliner finished.

The show was also available on other platforms and networks, like OAN, which was late to jump into the feed amid its nightly news program. There was no immediate estimate of overall viewership.

Although references to the big show in California and its lead performer were nil, Kid Rock had earlier described what he saw as the intent for the program. “We plan to play great songs for folks who love America. We’re approaching this show like David and Goliath. Competing with the pro football machine and a global pop superstar is almost impossible…or is it?” He continued, referencing Bad Bunny: “He’s said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? Cool. We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.” 

Detractors have noted the alternative halftime show’s inability to draw any current country hitmakers — the country performers on hand all had their runs of hits in the 2010s, except Barrett, who had her smash in 2020 — with some wondering where Jason Aldean, the most popular musician friend of President Trump, was. Aldean did at least come up for a mention, as Gilbert noted that his life was changed when Aldean recorded a song he co-wrote, the pioneering country-rap hybrid “Red Dirt Anthem,” which he then sang and rapped.

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