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PLA Tremors and the Chairman in Charge - by Bill Bishop

sinocism.com · 3,874 words · saved by 1 readers

A guest post by Holly Snape on the Chairman Responsibility System - On the same day the news hit that Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and member Liu Zhenli had been placed under investigation, a PLA Daily editorial accused the two men of “seriously trampling on and harming the Chairman Responsibility System” (严重践踏破坏军委主席负责制)1. This is largely viewed as a claim of their having “undermined Xi’s authority” or challenged his desire for personalized power. Put aside whether Zhang and Liu did in fact do any “trampling.” What is this “System”? Why does it matter? Does it really boil down to a statement of who’s the boss? And why should it be factored into calculations about the implications of Zhang and Liu’s downfall? For Xi, the Chairman Responsibility System (中央军委主席负责制) is a big deal. He has been incrementally building it for 13 years. Over this time, dozens of formal documents have been issued and revised and wave after wave of activity has sought to hammer home new rules and demand compliance.

PLA Tremors and the Chairman in Charge A guest post by Holly Snape on the Chairman Responsibility System Bill Bishop Feb 08, 2026 84 11 Share I am glad to be able to publish another guest submission from Holly Snape , a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Glasgow. Before moving to Scotland, she was a fellow at the Research Centre for Chinese Politics at Peking University’s School of Government where she studied Chinese domestic politics and political discourse. Her current research focuses on the relationship between the Communist Party and the State. In this article, Dr. Snape discusses

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