China's Communist party expels a record 33 members as purges empty top ranks
Only 279 of the 376 Central Committee members named in 2022 attended this week's fifth plenum, the largest number of empty seats in modern Chinese history.
At a glance
- A record 33 members were expelled from China's Communist party at this week's fifth plenum.
- Only 279 of the 376 Central Committee members named in 2022 attended, the most empty seats in modern Chinese history.
- Those expelled include Zhang Youxia and Ma Xingrui; Xi is expected to seek a fourth term in 2027.
China's Communist party expelled a record 33 members as it concluded its fifth plenum this week, a gathering of top officials marked by an unusually large number of empty seats that underlined the scale of the purges carried out under Xi Jinping.
Only 279 full and alternate members of the party's Central Committee attended, compared with the 376 named when the body was constituted in 2022. More than a quarter of the original cohort was absent, many of them removed in purges, the highest number of empty chairs at the plenum in modern Chinese history.
Zhang Youxia and Ma Xingrui among those expelled
The confirmed expulsions included Zhang Youxia, formerly the second-in-command to Xi in the military hierarchy, and Ma Xingrui, the former party secretary for Xinjiang. Other absences were not explained.
Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at the Asia Society thinktank, wrote on X that the emptier seats underscored the plenum's focus on Xi's vision of strict internal discipline. Party governance was the theme of this week's meeting.
An intensifying anti-corruption campaign
Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has made rooting out corruption a central project. In recent years the campaign has intensified, reaching the highest ranks of both the party and the military, and raising questions about whether it also serves as a tool to remove political rivals or punish disloyalty.
Xi has appeared increasingly frustrated by what he sees as weak discipline in a party that holds absolute authority over the Chinese state and society. Earlier this year he said the party needed to uproot "sick trees" and described the fight against corruption as a "never-ending journey".
The purges have gutted the seven-member Central Military Commission, the ruling body of the People's Liberation Army. Only two members remain: Xi himself, and Zhang Shengmin, the military's anti-corruption chief. Zhang was promoted to the politburo, the party's highest ruling body, this week and is now its only military member.
What happens next
The plenum laid the groundwork for the 21st party congress, an event held every five years that is expected to take place in the second half of 2027. Xi is expected to secure a fourth term as party leader, which would make him Communist China's longest-serving ruler since Mao Zedong.
The Central Committee and the politburo will be refreshed at that congress, though many analysts believe the recent purges have been so wide-ranging that few suitable candidates remain to be promoted.
Source: The Guardian.
Questions and answers
- How many people were expelled from China's Communist party at the fifth plenum?
- A record 33 members were expelled at the plenum, including Zhang Youxia, formerly the second-in-command to Xi in the military hierarchy, and Ma Xingrui, the former party secretary for Xinjiang.
- Why were there so many empty seats at the plenum?
- Only 279 of the 376 full and alternate Central Committee members named in 2022 attended. More than 25% were absent, many because of purges, the highest number in modern Chinese history.
- Will Xi Jinping get a fourth term as party leader?
- The plenum laid the groundwork for the 21st party congress, expected in the second half of 2027. Xi is expected to secure a fourth term, which would make him Communist China's longest-serving ruler since Mao Zedong.
