A very big and sensational news is currently emerging from global geopolitics and strategic corridors of Asia. Amidst the ongoing turmoil within China's politics and military, the country's President Xi Jinping has taken a very tough and shocking decision. Top Chinese general Zhao Zongqi, who was at the center of border disputes with India and commanded the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command during the Doklam and Galwan Valley clashes, has been officially ousted from the country's highest political advisory body. This action has once again brought before the world the internal tussle going on in the corridors of power in Beijing and the large-scale reshuffle being carried out in the military leadership by Xi Jinping. The sudden departure of this senior general, known for his aggressive military policies on India's borders, has become the main topic of discussion in international diplomacy. Official announcement by Chinese government agency Xinhua and removal without reason According to the report released by China's government and official news agency 'Xinhua', General Zhao Zongqi has been removed from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and other important posts related to it with immediate effect. In line with Beijing's style, no clear reason has been shared by the Chinese Communist Party or the government behind this high-level expulsion. Furthermore, it has not been officially announced whether any kind of formal investigation has been initiated against General Zhao or whether he has merely been relieved of political administrative responsibilities. However, diplomatic experts and international affairs analysts believe that such sudden steps are not normal and there may be deep strategic and internal political reasons hidden behind it. This incident of ousting General Zhao Zongqi has come at such a sensitive time when Chinese President Xi Jinping is running a large-scale cleaning campaign within his own army i.e. the People's Liberation Army. In the past few months, Xi Jinping has removed from their posts several senior military officers, heads of theater commands, leadership of defense universities and officials of important departments related to arms procurement within the army. Since Xi Jinping is the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) as well as the Chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), his hold on the military is paramount. Recently, Xi Jinping has also shown the door to two very senior military officers—Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli—from the CMC. After the withdrawal of these two veterans, now only two active members are left in this very influential seven-member military commission, which includes President Xi Jinping himself. From this it can be gauged how much mistrust and reshuffle is going on at the top level within the Dragon Army. Who is General Zhao Zongqi and what is his history with India? General Zhao Zongqi has been among the select generals of the PLA who have served as the commander of the most sensitive 'Western Theater Command' looking after the security of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India. During his tenure, the two largest and most serious military standoffs between India and China took place, bringing relations between the two countries to a historic low. Doklam Standoff of 2017: In the year 2017, when the armies of India and China came face to face in the Doklam area located at the Bhutan-Tibet-India tri-junction and heavy tension remained for 73 days, during that time General Zhao Zongqi was commanding the Western Theater Command. His aggressive stance during this crisis was discussed in defense circles all over the world. Galwan Valley Clash of 2020: After this, heavy deployment of Chinese troops at various points of LAC in Eastern Ladakh sector in May 2020 and the violent clash in Galwan Valley on 15 June 2020 also took place during his tenure. In this fierce conflict, 20 brave Indian soldiers were sacrificed for the motherland, while the Chinese side also suffered heavy losses, which was confirmed by Beijing long ago. In a sensational report released by news agency ANI in 2020, citing American intelligence sources, it was claimed that General Zhao Zongqi had allegedly given his direct approval to the aggressive operation in Galwan Valley to teach India a lesson. The exit of this top general, who implemented anti-India strategies, from the political advisory body is being considered very important strategically. Conclusion: The change in Chinese military leadership and what it means from India's point of view Overall, the departure of General Zhao Zongqi and this major high-level purification campaign being carried out by Xi Jinping in the Chinese Army has proved that there is nothing normal going on in the internal power equations of Beijing. On one hand, Xi Jinping is becoming more dictatorial and centralized in his hold on the party and the military, while on the other hand, this marginalization of key players in border disputes like Galwan and Doklam indicates that China's regional strategies are also being reviewed internally. India's strategic and security establishment is keeping a close eye on all these activities, because such removal of generals commanding the border areas tells the story of major changes going on in the neighboring country, both on the internal and external fronts.
