China expels record 33 Communist Party members after plenum

A record 33 members have been expelled from China’s Communist Party as it concluded a four-day closed-door political gathering in Beijing, pushing plenum attendance below 300 for the first time in Xi Jinping’s 14-year rule.

The fifth plenum of the 20th Central Committee drew 279 members, down from 315 at the fourth plenum in October 2025 and 364 at the third plenum in July 2024. The diminished turnout followed an expansive anti-corruption campaign that left eight Central Committee seats vacant before the meeting opened. The gathering recorded the lowest turnout since the death of former leader Mao Zedong in 1976.

Military Purges Leave Central Military Commission with Two Members

Sixteen of the 33 expelled officials belonged to the military, according to a communiqué issued at the close of the meetings. The sweeping removals in the armed forces included former top general Zhang Youxia, who was ousted in August following a months-long graft investigation, alongside former generals Liu Zhenli and He Weidong.

The military departures left the Central Military Commission with only two active members: President Xi Jinping and anti-corruption chief Zhang Shengmin, down from its standard seven members. To address vacancies in civilian leadership, the plenum promoted General Zhang Shengmin to the 22-member Politburo, restoring a military voice to the top decision-making body after it operated without army representation earlier in the year. Prior to this promotion, the 24-member Politburo had been reduced to 21 officials, leaving the body entirely without military representation since January. The current Central Committee began its term in 2022 with more than 370 members.

Discipline and the Road to 2027

The latest expulsions elevate the total number of party members removed during Xi’s third term to 51, compared with 35 in his first term and five in his second term. Parallel data from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection showed that 680,000 individuals across the party apparatus faced disciplinary action in the first nine months of the year.

While recent plenums concentrated on economic reforms, party discipline took priority during the Beijing meetings as leadership preparations intensified for next year’s 21st Party Congress, where a leadership reshuffle is scheduled ahead of 2027. Analysts noted that Beijing may or may not appoint a second military general to the Politburo during the upcoming congress.

Ideological Loyalty and Expanding Reach

The intensity of the drive has reached into the highest levels of local government; for instance, Beijing’s deputy mayor vanished from public life last week, shortly after meeting with Walmart CEO John Furner to encourage American investment in the capital. The purge has also claimed figures such as former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui and former prominent diplomat Liu Jianchao.

Despite the high turnover, observers suggest Xi’s grip on power remains firm as he prepares for a likely fourth term. Deng Yuwen, a former deputy editor of the Study Times, told CNN that now younger people all listen to Xi, isn’t this better? He added, Whoever he promotes will become his loyalist. And he has enough time to make someone his trusted loyalists.

More on this story: Xi Jinping's fifth plenum focuses on party loyalty and governance

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