China Expels Record 33 Officials in Xi Jinping Purge

China has expelled a record 33 members of the ruling Communist Party following a major political gathering in Beijing, highlighting the growing scale of President Xi Jinping’s campaign against corruption and alleged indiscipline within the country’s political and military leadership. The unprecedented number of expulsions has drawn international attention, particularly as the latest developments reveal significant changes in the composition of the Communist Party’s most powerful institutions.

The expulsions were confirmed at the conclusion of the Chinese Communist Party’s fifth plenum, a major gathering of senior party officials held approximately once a year. The meeting became particularly notable because of the unusually large number of absent members, with empty seats emerging as a visible indication of the extensive political removals taking place under Xi’s leadership.

A total of 279 full and alternate members of the Communist Party’s Central Committee attended the gathering. This represented a substantial reduction from the 376 members originally identified when the committee was formed in 2022. Consequently, more than a quarter of the original membership was absent from the latest meeting. Although not every absence was officially explained, a significant number were associated with disciplinary investigations, dismissals and political purges.

The scale of the absences has made the latest gathering particularly unusual in the history of modern China. Analysts have described the empty seats as a striking representation of the extent to which Xi’s anti-corruption campaign has affected the upper levels of the ruling party. The meeting also demonstrated how political discipline and internal accountability have become increasingly important elements of Xi’s governing approach.

Among the most prominent officials confirmed to have been expelled were Zhang Youxia, previously regarded as the second-most senior figure in China’s military hierarchy, and Ma Xingrui, the former Communist Party secretary of Xinjiang. Both figures occupied influential positions within the Chinese political establishment, making their removal especially significant.

Zhang Youxia’s departure is particularly noteworthy because of his previous position within the People’s Liberation Army and his seniority in the country’s military command structure. His removal highlights the extent to which even highly influential military figures are not beyond the reach of the leadership’s disciplinary campaign. Meanwhile, Ma Xingrui’s expulsion demonstrates that the latest investigations have also affected senior civilian political officials.

However, the circumstances surrounding several other absences remain unclear. Chinese authorities have not provided detailed public explanations for every missing member, leaving analysts to examine the broader implications of the changing composition of the Central Committee.

The central theme of this week’s plenum was party governance, with particular attention given to internal discipline, political accountability and the fight against corruption. Since becoming China’s top leader in 2012, Xi Jinping has repeatedly presented corruption as a serious threat to the Communist Party’s authority and long-term survival.

His administration has launched extensive investigations targeting officials across government departments, provincial administrations, state-owned enterprises and the armed forces. The campaign has resulted in the removal, investigation or punishment of thousands of officials over the years.

Initially, the anti-corruption drive was widely presented as an effort to strengthen institutional integrity, improve administrative performance and restore public confidence in the ruling party. Xi has repeatedly argued that corruption weakens the Communist Party and undermines its ability to govern effectively.

However, the campaign has become increasingly extensive in recent years, reaching individuals occupying some of the most powerful positions in the country. This has generated questions among political observers about whether the campaign is driven exclusively by concerns over corruption or whether it also serves as a mechanism for consolidating political authority, eliminating potential rivals and enforcing personal loyalty to the leadership.

Xi has increasingly emphasised the need for strict discipline within the party. Earlier this year, he described corrupt officials as sick trees that needed to be uprooted, reinforcing his position that the fight against corruption must continue without interruption. He also characterised the campaign as a never-ending journey, suggesting that his administration does not intend to relax its scrutiny of party members.

The consequences have been particularly significant within the People’s Liberation Army, where repeated investigations and removals have substantially weakened the existing military leadership structure.

A series of purges has left China’s seven-member Central Military Commission, the country’s highest military decision-making body, with only two remaining members. They are Xi Jinping himself and Zhang Shengmin, the military’s senior anti-corruption official, who has played a central role in overseeing disciplinary enforcement within the armed forces.

The development represents a major transformation of China’s military leadership. The Central Military Commission is responsible for exercising the Communist Party’s command over the armed forces, making its composition particularly important for national security, defence planning and military administration.

The removal of several senior military figures has raised questions about institutional stability, leadership continuity and the potential consequences for military decision-making. Although Xi has consistently emphasised the importance of political loyalty and organisational discipline, extensive personnel changes can also create challenges in maintaining experienced leadership and ensuring administrative continuity.

Zhang Shengmin’s promotion to the Communist Party’s Politburo during the latest plenum further illustrates the growing importance of anti-corruption enforcement within China’s political system. The Politburo is the party’s highest-ranking decision-making body, and Zhang’s elevation makes him its only military representative.

His appointment signals that the leadership considers internal discipline and oversight essential to maintaining control over the armed forces. It also demonstrates how anti-corruption officials have acquired increasingly prominent positions within the party’s power structure.

Beyond the immediate expulsions, the latest plenum has also laid important political groundwork for the Communist Party’s 21st National Congress, which is expected to take place during the second half of 2027.

The congress, held once every five years, is one of the most important political events in China. It provides an opportunity for the party to review its leadership arrangements, establish major political priorities and make appointments to key institutions, including the Central Committee and the Politburo.

Xi Jinping is widely expected to seek an unprecedented fourth term as the Communist Party’s leader at the next congress. If he remains in power, he would further strengthen his position as the longest-serving leader of Communist China since the era of Mao Zedong.

His continued leadership would also mark another important stage in the transformation of China’s political system, particularly following the removal of the presidential term limit in 2018. The constitutional change opened the possibility of Xi remaining in office beyond the traditional two-term arrangement that had shaped China’s leadership transitions in previous decades.

Nevertheless, the extensive purges have created an additional challenge for the party ahead of next year’s congress. The Central Committee and Politburo are expected to undergo substantial personnel changes, but the removal of so many senior officials could make the process of identifying suitable replacements more complicated.

Political analysts have expressed concerns that the scale of the investigations has reduced the number of experienced candidates available for promotion. Officials who might otherwise have been considered for senior positions have either been removed, placed under investigation or affected by the broader restructuring of the party and military leadership.

The challenge is not simply replacing individuals. China’s political leadership must also ensure that the next generation of senior officials possesses the administrative experience, institutional knowledge and political credibility necessary to manage the world’s second-largest economy and one of its most powerful militaries.

The latest developments therefore highlight a complicated situation for Xi Jinping. On one hand, the campaign reinforces his authority and demonstrates that senior officials can face serious consequences for violating party rules. On the other, extensive removals risk creating uncertainty within institutions that depend on experienced personnel and stable chains of command.

For international observers, the record number of expulsions represents an important indication of the direction in which China’s political system is moving. The country’s leadership appears increasingly determined to strengthen internal discipline, reinforce political loyalty and maintain tighter control over the party and armed forces.

As China approaches the 2027 party congress, attention will increasingly focus on the officials selected to fill vacant positions and the future structure of the country’s political and military leadership. The choices made during this period could influence China’s domestic governance, military strategy and international relations for years to come.

The 33 expulsions and the unprecedented number of empty seats at the fifth plenum have therefore become more than a matter of internal party discipline. They reflect a major political restructuring under Xi Jinping, whose determination to maintain control over the Communist Party continues to reshape the leadership of modern China.