China expels a record number from Communist party amid Xi’s intensified purges of top officials
The unprecedented number of empty seats at the fifth plenum – a symbol of expulsions – serve as a symbol for the scale of the purges under Xi Jinping China expelled a record number of officials from the Chinese Communist party (CCP) as it concluded a major political gathering , which saw an unprecedented number of empty seats indicating the scale of the purges under Xi Jinping. A record 33…
China's Communist Party expelled a record number of officials during its recent fifth plenum, reflecting the intensity of Xi Jinping's purges of top officials. At the gathering of high-ranking party members, an unprecedented number of seats remained empty, indicating the extent of the expulsions. Over 25% of the original Central Committee members did not attend the plenum, many due to these purges.
Notable expulsions included Zhang Youxia, a former second-in-command in China's military hierarchy, and Ma Xingrui, the former party secretary for Xinjiang. The plenum's theme was party governance, and it comes after years of intensified anti-corruption campaigns under Xi. These purges have significantly weakened the military leadership, leaving only Xi and military anti-graft chief Zhang Shengmin in the seven-member Central Military Commission.
The plenum also set the stage for the 21st Party Congress, which is expected to be held in 2027, with Xi aiming to secure a fourth term as party leader. Despite the extensive purges, experts believe the party leadership ranks will be refreshed, but few candidates are considered suitable for promotion.
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