China Expels Record 33 Officials at Fifth Plenum as Xi Deepens Purges

The Chinese Communist Party concluded its annual fifth plenum this week after expelling a record number of high-ranking officials, reflecting the intensifying scale of Xi Jinping purges across the country's political and military establishments. Out of the 376 full and alternate members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022, only 279 attended the major gathering. The absence of more than 25 percent of the original cohort marks the highest number of empty seats documented at a plenum in modern Chinese history.

Party authorities confirmed that 33 members were expelled during the event, which was centered on the theme of internal party governance. High-profile expulsions included Zhang Youxia, formerly the second-highest-ranking figure within China's military hierarchy, as well as Ma Xingrui, who previously served as the party secretary for Xinjiang. Additional absences among the committee remained unexplained by officials.

China expelled a record 33 Central Committee members at its fifth plenum amid sweeping internal purges.

Since assuming leadership in 2012, Xi has prioritized anti-corruption initiatives to enforce party discipline. That campaign has expanded into the upper echelons of both the government and the armed forces, prompting questions over whether the anti-graft drive is also functioning as a mechanism to eliminate political rivals and punish disloyalty. Xi has expressed mounting frustration with perceived lapses in discipline across the party, declaring earlier this year that authorities must pull up "sick trees" and characterizing the anti-corruption drive as an ongoing, never-ending journey.

The disciplinary actions have severely impacted the military command structure. Repeated investigations have decimated the seven-member Central Military Commission, the executive authority controlling the People's Liberation Army. Only two officials now remain on the body: Xi and military anti-corruption chief Zhang Shengmin. Zhang was elevated this week to the CCP's Politburo, where he currently stands as the sole military representative inside the party's primary leadership circle.

Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at the Asia Society think tank, observed in a post on X that the elevated number of vacant seats highlights the plenum's central focus on Xi's demands for uncompromising internal discipline.

The plenum also established groundwork for the 21st Party Congress scheduled for the second half of 2027, an assembly held every five years where Xi is expected to secure an unprecedented fourth term as party leader, cementing his status as the country's longest-ruling figure since Mao Zedong. While the Politburo and Central Committee are due to be refreshed at next year's congress, multiple analysts suggest the breadth of recent dismissals has left a shortage of suitable candidates ready for promotion into top leadership roles.