The disappearances of high-level Chinese figures from both civilian and military offices have provoked criticism of Xi Jinping’s perceived ruthlessness in his efforts to consolidate power within himself. However, analysts point out that in some of these cases, there’s more at play than just the ambitions of one man.

Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan looks at the role that state and military corruption plays in Xi’s decisions about who stays or who goes. In the end, Zeihan argues, these disappearances are not always about Xi himself, but are sometimes instead about the deeper corruption within Chinese state and military organizations.

The following is an excerpt from Peter’s Jan. 12 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

I had a handful of y’all point out that not everyone in the recent Chinese purges was targeted for political reasons; instead, many of these folks are facing corruption charges.

The level of corruption within the Chinese military is unknown, but I bet it’s more widespread than most people think. Between the missile silos that lack functioning hatches and the ballistic missiles filled with water instead of fuel, China is experiencing a Russian level of corruption.

The extent to which this has impacted and will continue to influence China’s military readiness and modernization program is expected to be significant. So, for all my non-Chinese viewers out there, I hope you get a good chuckle out of all this.