{
  "id": 17165981,
  "title": "China expels a record number from Communist party amid Xi’s intensified purges of top officials",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/china-expels-a-record-number-from-communist-party-amid-xis",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T02:56:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian",
    "slug": "the-guardian",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/30/china-expels-record-number-communist-party-xi-jinping-purges-officials-fifth-plenum"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "‘Unwritten rules’ become newest target in Communist Party’s war on corruption",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/unwritten-rules-become-newest-target-in-communist-partys-war-on",
        "published": "2026-10-30T05:55:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}