In a purge that rivals the wildest episodes of Game of Thrones, Chinese President Xi Jinping has decapitated the leadership of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), placing his second-in-command, General Zhang Youxia, under investigation for "grave violations of discipline."

General Zhang, a man who stood inches from Xi at public ceremonies just weeks ago, is now the highest-ranking casualty in a sweeping anti-corruption dragnet that has engulfed the Chinese military establishment. The charges? A murky cocktail of bribery and political disloyalty, with whispered rumors of leaked nuclear secrets to the West.

The "Red Wedding" in Beijing

"This is the most significant PLA purge in the post-Mao era," says Neil Thomas of the Asia Society. "It is akin to the US President arresting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." The move shatters the unspoken rule of immunity for the "princelings"—descendants of the Communist Party's revolutionary founders.

The investigation into Zhang and his colleague Liu Zhenli reveals a paranoia at the heart of the Chinese state. Despite modernizing the military into a terrifying global force, Xi appears unconvinced of his generals' absolute loyalty. The editorial in the PLA Daily accusing them of "betraying trust" is a death knell for their careers, and likely, their freedom.

• The Nuclear Angle: Reports from the Wall Street Journal suggest Zhang may be implicated in the leak of sensitive data regarding China’s expanding nuclear arsenal. If true, this moves the scandal from simple graft to high treason.
• The Kenya Parallel: The purge resonates with the unpredictable nature of power in authoritarian-leaning systems. It mirrors the sudden falls from grace seen in African politics, where "super-ministers" are celebrated one day and dragged to court the next, often to settle political scores under the guise of fighting corruption.
• The Message: Xi is signaling that no one is too big to fall. The "Tigers and Flies" anti-corruption campaign has now eaten the biggest Tiger of all.

A Fragile Superpower?

While the world worries about China’s external aggression towards Taiwan, this internal bloodletting suggests a regime consumed by domestic threats. A military leadership looking over its shoulder for the secret police is not a military focused on war-fighting.

For African nations deeply indebted to Beijing, this instability is a worrying signal. If the man who controls the guns in China is not safe, then the agreements signed with his subordinates may rest on shaky ground. The Dragon is eating its own tail.