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A record 33 members have been expelled from China’s Communist Party as it concluded a major annual political gathering marked by the most empty seats ever seen. The fifth plenum was attended by 279 Central Committee members, dropping below 300 for the first time in Xi Jinping’s 14-year leadership.
Anti-Corruption Purges and Military Removals
While recent plenums concentrated on economic reforms and social development, party discipline took center stage at the four-day closed-door gathering held at a Beijing hotel. According to a communique issued on Thursday, 16 of the 33 expelled members belong to the military.
The members face broad allegations of “serious disciplinary and legal violations.” Chong Ja Ian, a non-resident scholar with Carnegie China, told BBC News that the campaign has become an effort to consolidate and maintain authority. Chong noted that the campaign will continue and expand depending on how secure Xi feels rather than any real issue with corruption.
In its statement, the party acknowledged that its leadership had at times weakened or hollowed out, adding that it will enforce strict self-governance and turn the knife inward to curb disorder. The latest removals bring the total number of members expelled during Xi’s third term to a record 51, compared to 35 in his first term and five in his second term.
Additionally, China’s top anti-corruption watchdog reported that 680,000 people across the party apparatus faced discipline in the first nine months of the year. Observers state that Xi views corruption not merely as graft, but as ideological impurity and disloyalty, having previously warned against two-faced cadres who act in self-interest.
Key Figures Impacted by the Purge
High-ranking officials expelled include former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, along with former top generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. Neil Thomas, Lobsang Tsering, and Shengyu Wang from the Asia Society Policy Institute described the culling of the military’s top brass as being in a category of its own, warning that it raises serious questions about organizational leadership and combat readiness.
Zhang Youxia served as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, which controls the armed forces. Following these changes, the seven-member commission has been reduced to two members, with Xi as chairman and Zhang Shengmin as vice-chairman. Ma Xingrui and Zhang Youxia were also former Politburo members, and their removal alongside former general He Weidong in 2025 temporarily left the 24-man Politburo with 21 members before Zhang Shengmin was promoted at the fifth plenum.
Former prominent diplomat Liu Jianchao, who disappeared from public view in July of last year, was also named among the purged officials. Chong told BBC News that Xi has few qualms about removing people he promoted and that doing so with little opposition highlights his unassailable position.
Future Leadership Plans
Analysts suggest the heightened emphasis on discipline relates to next year’s Party Congress, where the CCP will vote for its next leader. A leadership reshuffle is scheduled for 2027, and analysts anticipate Xi will secure a fourth term and beyond, making him the longest-serving leader since Mao Zedong.
Thomas told BBC News that Xi has reason to scrutinize the next cohort more closely following the removal of numerous officials from the current committee. Thomas added that rising stars tend to be young, possess technocratic backgrounds, and maintain connections to Xi’s political network, pointing to provincial leadership ranks as a promising place to look.
Observers expect Xi to dominate personnel selection at the 21st Party Congress to further cement his grip on the party and nation. Chong told BBC News that Xi’s focus is on consolidating power around himself, though such concentration could eventually pave the way for a serious power vacuum as Xi ages.
