Explainer
Xi’s Military Shakeup Targets ‘Irreplaceable’ Nuclear Force
- China changes missile force leaders amid reported graft probe
- Secretive unit handles some of nation’s most important weapons
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President Xi Jinping’s sudden ousting of two generals who led his “irreplaceable” nuclear missile force has thrown a rare spotlight on a secretive Chinese unit that’s crucial to any invasion of Taiwan.
The People Liberation Army’s Rocket Force has evolved from a small command managing short-range missiles to overseeing the only nuclear stockpile in the world expanding in a meaningful way — and one with a direct line to China’s top leader.