China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers stand in front of a window before a welcome ceremony for U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley at the Bayi Building in Beijing on Aug. 16, 2016. Mark Schiefelbein/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
China has quietly removed its ground forces’ third-ranking officer without explanation, adding to signs that purges in the military’s top brass are ongoing.
Lt. Gen. Cai Zhijun has been named the chief of staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force, according to footage of a meeting with Pakistani military leaders that was aired on CCTV, China’s state broadcaster, on July 25, which showed Cai’s new title.
