Hong Kong, Aug. 4 -- Chairman Xi Jinping continues to repair the upper echelons of China's military - the People's Liberation Army (PLA) - as key figures arrive and depart in disgrace in regular succession.

The reason for the top brass' decimation is none other than Xi himself, who personally promotes these figures and then discards them when they fail to meet expectations.

This throws in doubt Xi's ability to pick a winner. After all, he has achieved almost demigod status in China as its guiding light, and yet he seems a poor judge of character. Or perhaps the revolving door at the top of the PLA shows the total rot lying within?

According to a database kept by the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 101 se...