China's rare launch of a ballistic missile launch into the Pacific will push regional powers to deepen their defense ties.

The commission is chaired by Xi. Its only other current member is Vice Chair Zhang Shengmin. Two former vice chairs, including the military's top general, have been removed. A new commission is expected to be announced in the fall of next year, at the end of the current commission's five-year term.

This latest military test demonstrates China's growing willingness to use its military strength to send a warning to the Pacific: that Beijing now has the military and nuclear means to assert its dominance in the region.

The campaign has reached the highest levels of PLA. Since 2022, an estimated 100 senior military officers have been removed, probed or placed under scrutiny

Amid an ongoing purge, Chinese leader Xi Jinping may be assembling the cornerstones of a new Central Military Commission.

A classified Russian document seen by Reuters directly referred to an internal decree issued by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in August, 2025.

The United States on Monday added Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba , internet search provider Baidu , and automakers BYD and ​NIO to a list of companies it believes are aiding Beijing's military, in a move that could inflame tensions between the countries.

The Pentagon briefly posted a similar expanded list in February, then withdrew it without explanation before Trump's China trip.