Recent purges of senior People's Liberation Army officers, including the September 2026 expulsion from the Communist Party and military of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Joint Staff Department Chief Liu Zhenli on grounds of disloyalty, factionalism, and corruption, have fueled speculation in related markets. These moves extend Xi Jinping's long-running campaign to assert control over the armed forces ahead of the 2027 party congress and reinforce internal discipline. Earlier unverified social media claims of a January 2026 coup plot involving these figures produced no independent confirmation of armed action or leadership seizure. Official emphasis on stability, risk prevention, and "Peaceful China" initiatives signals institutional priorities that traders weigh against historical patterns of elite turnover without regime change.