China’s Military Shake-Up Raises Questions About Combat Readiness

SINGAPORE—A widening shake-up in China’s defense establishment has raised questions over leader Xi Jinping’s ability to end corruption in the military and build a modern, combat-ready fighting force as geopolitical challenges crop up along its borders.

The unexplained and sometimes abrupt changes in China’s senior military personnel over recent months—including the removal of the defense minister—reached a crescendo last week, when Beijing ejected nine high-ranking People’s Liberation Army officers from the national legislature and stripped three top defense-industry executives of their roles as government advisers.