the author lingling has zero credibility. there are many theories about Zhang's downfall but from PLA daily news he violate the law and undermine the CMC chairman authority.
Official Xi Jinping Thought discussion thread
- Thread starter siegecrossbow
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I don't think she exaggerates lol, I think her sources are just that deluded. She is faithfully reporting their unhinged conspiracy theories.
Cannot rule out the possibility that her sources are carrying out misinformation campaigns on behalf of the PRC Government. Otherwise, why would most of her articles sound like music to Washington’s ears. One basic informational warfare strategy is to feed partially true information that your adversary likes to hear, but such information does not reveal everything.
So hypothetically, someone within the PLARF probably fed relatively less critical information to US intelligence services and got busted before more leaks occurred, but when Wei’s sources explained to her, that source deliberately exaggerated the truth by saying it was General Zhang who turned over core technological details. When Wei and her editor published her article, it would sound like music to Washington’s ears by portraying a false picture of the PLA being both incompetent and thoroughly penetrated inside out akin to Iran’s IRGC. But the real strength of the PLARF and the real reasons behind Zhang’s arrest remain unclear at best.
What would be the point?
It's better for China to be viewed as strong, so that the USA doesn't go after China.
Get the US public to keep a less vigilant eye on China and focus on more immediate issues like immigration, economy, and Western Hemisphere.
Also, the isolationist/restrainers within the Trump Administration probably would like to have a somewhat less confrontational relationship with China (see the 2026 National Defense Strategy). Releasing the fake news of the PLA being throughly incompetent and penetrated inside out like the IRGC at a time when Trump is busy dealing with Europe and domestic issues would further give the Trump Administration’s restrainers and isolationists reasons to shift diplomatic and military resources away from the China theatre.
For Beijing, a Washington with attention focused elsewhere will buy Xi more time to install loyalists within the PLA whilst preparing for the ultimate showdown over Taiwan. The difference between Xi and Mao is that Xi actually wants to have competent people working for him whilst Mao only cared about spiritual loyalty regardless of competency. But loyalty does matter as it would be highly dangerous for Xi should his close lieutenants be competent but secretly against his policies, if not outright believers of liberalism.
Which liberalism are you talking about in the military ? The military has(or should have) nothing to do with politics or economic policies of a country.
The Trump administration operates by making highly-visible "spectacles" of power.
Think circuses for the Plebs, to keep everyone distracted and/or entertained.
It's better if China is strong, so doesn't attract Trump's attention.
Weakness will be ruthlessly exploited. Think Venezuela or Iran. Or the trade wars.
You misunderstand the dynamics.
Trump is refocusing on the Western Hemisphere, partly because they see China as too strong to mess with.
Remember that by 2030, we're still looking at about 1000 J-20 stealth fighters plus another 1000 fighters in the Chinese Air Force.
Combined with other developments, that should be enough for Chinese air superiority over all of the 1st Island Chain, despite anything the US can do.
By 2035, the Pentagon is reporting that China will build an extra 6 aircraft carriers.
If you add in current rates of construction for other warship categories, the Chinese Navy would double in tonnage by 2035.
It looks like the Chinese Navy would have more warship tonnage than the US at that point.
When combined with the Air Force and Rocket Force, I reckon the Chinese military would likely win blue-water naval battles in the 2nd Island Chain.
So this is the US preparing for a future where China can control the oceans, and the US will have to retreat back to the defence/control of the Americas.
This makes no sense.
Well the effect of Lingling’s articles has always been portraying the PRC as weak and incompetent. So based on what you have wrttien, another possible hypothesis could be ‘journalists’ like Lingling trying get Trump to be more confrontational against China by telling Trump that now is the best time to strike opportunistically. Lingling is actually part of the deep state journalism propaganda machine complex, not part of the MAGA movement. MAGA hates people like her. Folks like her absolutely do not want to see Trump entering into a detente with China based on realpolitik. Ideologically charged American journalists (not all journalists of course) writing about China have traditionally been one of the most hawkish groups toward China. Would you say that’s the case?
They tried economically in 2025 and TACOed so bad both times that Trump ended up firing a huge number of his advisors who allowed him to get humiliated. If Lingling knows what’s good for her then she shouldn’t be trying this.