President Xi’s PLA Purge Reaches the General Who Faced India at Doklam & Galwan

China has stripped Gen. Zhao Zongqi, former commander of the PLA’s Western Theatre Command

• He commanded the Western Theatre during the 72-day Doklam standoff in 2017.
• He remained in command during the 2020 Ladakh crisis and Galwan clash.
• A US intelligence assessment had reportedly linked him to authorising the Galwan operation to “teach India a lesson”  a claim Beijing has never publicly confirmed.

Whether Zhao’s removal is directly linked to the purge remains officially unexplained by Beijing.