China’s accelerating nuclear expansion and the sweeping purge of senior military figures have unfolded over a clearly traceable sequence, pointing to a pivotal phase in Xi Jinping’s rule. After more than a decade in power, Xi has consolidated authority to a degree unseen since Mao, yet developments since the early 2020s suggest growing anxiety, both about China’s external security environment and about the reliability of its own armed forces, at a time when tensions over Taiwan have steadily intensified.