Record number of purges as Xi emphasises 'party discipline' at China political gathering

Record wave of purges as Xi stresses 'party discipline' at China political meeting

This is the first time in Xi's 14 years of leadership that plenum attendance has dropped below 300

A record 33 members have been expelled from China's Communist Party as it wrapped up a major annual political gathering that featured the highest number of empty seats ever recorded.

The fifth plenum was attended by 279 Central Committee members, down from 315 at the fourth plenum in October 2025 and 364 at the third in July 2024.

Where recent plenums have concentrated on economic reform or social and development matters, party discipline was the main focus at this week's meeting.

Xi Jinping has made the campaign against corruption a core part of his rule since taking power in 2012, describing it as the party's "biggest threat".

Sixteen of the 33 expelled members are from the military, according to a communique released on Thursday, which marked the end of the four-day closed-door meeting at a hotel in Beijing.

It is not clear what exact accusations these members face beyond "serious disciplinary and legal violations". Such sweeping claims have become standard under Xi's anti-corruption drive.

It has now become "an effort to consolidate and maintain authority", says Chong Ja Ian, a non-resident scholar with Carnegie China.

"In this case, the campaign will continue and expand depending on how secure Xi feels rather than any real issue with corruption."

In its statement, the party said it has "squarely confronted the grim reality that party leadership had at times weakened or hollwed out" and that it will continue to "enforce strict party self-governance, including turning the knife inwards to... curb disorder".

The latest expulsions lift the total number of members removed under Xi's third term to a record 51, up from 34 and five in his first and second terms respectively.

Outside the plenum, China's top anti-corruption watchdog said 680,000 people across the party apparatus have been disciplined in the first nine months of this year.

This is also the first time in Xi's 14 years of leadership that plenum attendance has fallen below 300. The current Central Committee began its term in 2022 with more than 370 members.

Observers say Xi sees corruption not only as graft but also as ideological impurity and, crucially, disloyalty.

In January, he warned against "two-faced cadres" who profess political loyalty but defy orders and act in their self-interest.

Among the senior officials expelled are former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, and ex-top generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. Official statements announcing their removal this year said they were "seriously violating [the party's] discipline and rules", a phrase widely understood as a euphemism for corruption.

The removal of the military's top brass has been especially notable, with Neil Thomas, Lobsang Tsering and Shengyu Wang of the Asia Society Policy Institute calling it "in a category of its own".

"It raises serious questions about organisational leadership and combat readiness, even as China continues to unveil formidable new military hardware," they wrote.

Zhang was also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, which oversees the armed forces. The seven-member commission has since been reduced to just two members: Xi as chairman and Zhang Shengmin as vice-chairman.

Ma and Zhang Youxia were former Politburo members. Their removal, along with former general He Weidong in 2025, meant the powerful 24-men Politburo was at one point reduced to 21 members.

Zhang Shengmin was elevated to the top decision-making body at the fifth plenum, taking the number to 22.

Former prominent diplomat Liu Jianchao, who disappeared from public view in July last year, was also listed among those purged.

"Xi has few qualms about removing people he promoted," Chong says. "That he does so at will with little opposition underscores how unassailable his position is at the moment."

Analysts think one reason for the greater emphasis on discipline — which many read as loyalty — is next year's Party Congress, when the CCP will vote again for its next leader.

A leadership reshuffle is due in 2027 and many analysts expect Xi to keep the top job for a fourth term and beyond. No leader has served that long except Mao Zedong, the founder Communist China.

Xi has reason to "scrutinise the next cohort more closely" given the fall of so many officials from the current committee, Thomas says.

"Today's rising stars tend to be relatively young, boast technocratic backgrounds, and have connections to Xi's political network," he says, adding that "provincial leadership ranks are a promising place to look".

Observers say that ultimately, Xi is expected to dominate personnel selection at the 21st Party Congress, which will further cement his grip on the party and the country.