Chinese military reforms to win "peripheral" conflicts
In response to the Gulf War China has changed its military goals from winning mainland land wars towards being beating the US in "local wars under high technology conditions". Military spending has increased 83% in the last decade (in real terms). Xi has also shifted the spending from the military to the marines, air force, and navy.
Xi has also reorganized the armed forces. Switching to geographic commands (all branches within the geography report to the same command instead of central hq) and commands aimed at particular American vulnerabilities: the Strategic Support Force to attack American communication capabilities and the PLA Rocket Force targeting US aircrafter carriers and military bases.
Xi's anti-corruption purges have "ensnared" 13k officers. But I have no idea if that's making the military more professional or less effective.