Cold War Daily

A recent Bloomberg story is based on declassified US intelligence showing corruption is frustrating Xi Jinping’s plan to modernize China’s military.

The data was released ahead of the crucial Taiwan elections, held on January 13 in which Lai Ching-te of the DPP won.

Business Insider, following Bloomberg, reported that the intelligence…

indicated that the PLA is struggling with widespread corruption from its Rocket Force branch to the industrial base, prompting Chinese leader Xi Jinping to launch a sweeping anti-graft campaign that’s consequently caught over a dozen senior defense officials in the past six months.

Some impacts of the graft noted by US intelligence include missiles filled with water, as well as intercontinental ballistic missile silos sporting improperly functioning lids that could derail a missile launch.

The seemingly tactical release of the data appeared designed to shape the information environment around the China-Taiwan relationship. The takeaway being that China’s military is no condition to stage an invasion, despite the pledge for reunification Xi made in his New Year’s speech.

Moreover, this seemingly tactical release follows the strategy the US employed in the run up to Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

It appears to be part of a new US information strategy.