The World from PRX

Stunning purge of China’s military

Full Episode
50:35

Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission attends the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

Ng Han Guan/AP/File

Analysts are calling it China’s biggest military purge in roughly half a century: President Xi Jinping has placed his second-in-command, China’s top general, under investigation. Also, the Israeli government announced today it had found and recovered the remains of the final Israeli hostage. And, seven Japanese American soldiers are being promoted to officer ranks, eight decades after they died fighting for the US. Plus, Japan is without pandas for the first time since 1972!

In This Episode

A person in a military uniform with several medals and insignia sitting in front of a red background, appearing serious and focused.
China’s stunning military purge
Special Coverage
9:44
Moderation: A Swedish tradition
3:47
A scenic coastal view with white sandy beaches, clear blue waters, and distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky, with a weathered wooden fence post in the foreground.
Sabbath observance is dwindling on the islands of the Outer Hebrides
Special Coverage
6:59
Last pandas in Japan go back to China
0:58
Remains of final Israeli hostage returned
16:43
Once dubbed ‘enemy aliens,’ Japanese American soldiers posthumously promoted
0:47
An immigrant’s football story
7:30