A spectacular move against China 's top general by Chinese leader Xi Jinping that was announced at the weekend raises a burning question: is China's military less effective today amidst an ongoing purge that has seen hundreds of officers removed, with more to come as Xi presses home his demand for political fealty? The experienced General Zhang Youxia and the Joint Staff Chief Liu Zhenli—both members of China's top military body, the Central Military Commission (CMC)— were placed under