Xi tightens PLA control as Taiwan strengthens defense with private–public partnerships

Chinese leader Xi Jinping expanded purges within the PLA, reducing the Central Military Commission to two members and centralizing command, raising concerns about military miscalculation. The US 2026 National Defense Strategy de-emphasizes direct competition with China and emphasizes burden-sharing to bolster Indo-Pacific defenses, a stance Beijing may read as space to press its regional aims. Taiwan is pushing defense hardening through private-public partnerships, a U.S.-backed Joint Firepower Coordination Center, and an integrated air-and-missile defense network, while its domestic politics shape spending. The PLA is advancing unmanned systems for amphibious operations, including UAVs, USVs, and upgraded bombers/missiles to complicate U.S. naval power. Regional dynamics span Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Europe, with travel advisories, economic coercion, espionage cases, and diplomatic tensions influencing cross-strait dynamics. TikTok’s US joint venture aims to localize data and retrain its algorithm amid ongoing security scrutiny.]