China Draws Five Lessons from Iran War for Military Readiness

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun," Mao Zedong famously said, and the military remains the core of Chinese power today.

At a People's Liberation Army and Armed Police delegation meeting held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 7th, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed senior generals and officials. "There is no place to hide for forces with hidden intentions against the Party or corrupt elements within the military," he declared. The remarks emphasized absolute loyalty and zero tolerance for misappropriation of defense budgets. The message also reveals the backdrop behind the purge of Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, in January.

Xi's military reorganization has proceeded with lightning speed. Of the four officials who sat on the podium last year, only Zhang Chengmin, the newly appointed vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, remains. Vice Chairmen Zhang Youxia and He Weidong, along with Joint Staff Department Chief Liu Zhenli, were ousted. Nine military generals were also stripped of their delegate status at this year's National People's Congress. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. think tank, has counted 101 Chinese military generals who have disappeared since 2022. Power consolidation has intensified amid rising tensions with the United States over trade disputes and the Taiwan issue. The Venezuela crisis and Iran war have further bolstered justifications for internal control and military strengthening.

On the 3rd, "China Military Voice," a PLA propaganda platform, released five lessons from the Iran airstrikes: First, "the most lethal threat is the enemy within." Second, "careless peace is a fatal miscalculation." Third, "superior weapons are reality." Fourth, "illusions of victory are a cruel paradox." Fifth, "fundamental will depends on oneself."

Ahead of the U.S.-China summit, China deployed two 10,000-ton destroyers for combat duty in the Taiwan Strait. This year's defense budget increased by 7%. The military is accelerating modernization efforts including artificial intelligence and personnel expansion. Recent Chinese military activity has expanded beyond the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait into the Yellow Sea. Chinese fighter jets scrambled in response to U.S. Forces Korea sorties over the Yellow Sea, and there was a standoff with Australian military helicopters conducting North Korea sanctions operations. The Iran war has put the drawdown of U.S. Forces Korea on the clock. In such circumstances, strengthening air defense networks and maintaining close U.S.-Korea coordination are essential to preserve deterrence against North Korea and ensure thorough preparedness for Chinese military activities.