President Xi Jinping’s sweeping purge of China’s military has concentrated power in his hands and raises the risk of aggression toward Taiwan, meaning the U.S. must be ready. | REUTERS

China’s top military command has been almost emptied out. Of the seven members chosen for the Central Military Commission in 2022, only Xi Jinping and one general remain active. Days before Xi met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last month, Beijing formally expelled Gen. Zhang Youxia, Xi’s longtime ally and former top military deputy, and Gen. Liu Zhenli, the former chief of the Joint Staff Department.

We do not know why Xi is doing this or what he intends to do next. But the purge has further strengthened his hand over the military. Reuters reported that analysts see Xi’s grip on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as strengthened by the removal of senior commanders and their proteges even as the upheaval weakens near-term readiness.…