Who really commands China’s military?

Chinese politics is a black box—sealed tight, full of shadows, and almost impossible to decipher. But one question haunts every China watcher: who truly commands the world’s largest standing army? The September military parade only deepened the mystery. Was it Xi’s show of strength, or Zhang’s silent signal that the PLA isn’t fully under Xi’s grip? Every detail—from missing generals to parade protocols—was dissected like clues in a crime scene. Behind the tanks and missiles was a power struggle playing out in plain sight. And the truth remains murky: is Xi still in control, or has Zhang become the real power behind the guns?

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