Xi Jinping's party purges reach record high at fifth plenum

China's Communist Party expelled a record 33 members during its fifth plenum, a move that signals a tightening of internal discipline ahead of a major leadership transition. The gathering, which concluded on Thursday after four days of closed-door sessions in Beijing, marked the lowest attendance in the last 14 years of Xi Jinping's rule. Only 279 Central Committee members were present, a sharp drop from the 315 attendees at the previous plenum in October 2025 and 364 in July 2024. The current committee began its term in 2022 with more than 370 members.

Sixteen of the expelled members served in the military, according to a party communique. The officials faced broad allegations of serious disciplinary and legal violations, a standard description in recent anti-corruption campaigns. Among the removed figures were former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui and ex-top generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. Their departures leave the Central Military Commission with just two members: Chairman Xi Jinping and Vice-Chairman Zhang Shengmin, who was promoted to the Politburo during the plenum.

Zhang Fuhai of the party's disciplinary commission stated that more than two million individuals have been disciplined since 2012 for issues ranging from bureaucratism to extravagance. He said the party aims to ensure officials dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt. The top anti-corruption watchdog reported that 680,000 people were disciplined in the first nine months of this year. The latest expulsions bring the total number of members removed under Xi's third term to 51, surpassing the 35 removed during his first and second terms combined.

Chong Ja Ian, a non-resident scholar with Carnegie China, described the campaign as an effort to consolidate authority. He noted that the scope of the purges depends on how secure Xi feels rather than on specific corruption cases. Xi has warned against two-faced cadres who profess loyalty but act in self-interest. The party acknowledged that leadership had at times weakened or hollowed out and pledged to curb disorder through strict self-governance.

Analysts link the emphasis on discipline to the 2027 Party Congress, when the party will vote for its next leader. Most observers expect Xi to seek a fourth term, a tenure length not seen since Mao Zedong. Neil Thomas of the Asia Society Policy Institute said the removal of military leaders raises questions about combat readiness. He suggested that provincial leadership ranks are a likely source for the next cohort of rising stars.

The plenum marked the first time in Xi's 14 years of leadership that attendance fell below 300. The reduction in the Politburo to 22 members reflects the ongoing culling of senior officials. Zhang Shengmin's promotion to the top decision-making body helps offset some of the vacancies. The party's focus remains on ideological purity and loyalty, with Xi expected to dominate personnel selection in the coming years.