China Unveils New Head of Rocket Force Amid Reported Probes

  • First time in 40 years commander is from outside rocket unit
  • Xi has called in recent weeks for better military governance
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President Xi Jinping has overhauled the military leadership managing China’s nuclear arsenal amid reports of a sweeping corruption probe in the rocket force that would play a key role in an invasion of Taiwan.

The Chinese leader replaced the two most-senior leaders in the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force, a report in state media showed, bringing in new blood from China’s air force and navy — a highly unusual step that suggests a desire for wholesale change in the unit’s upper echelons.