World
China Communist Party expels record 33 members
BBC News·
China’s Communist Party expelled a record 33 Central Committee members as the fifth plenum ended in Beijing. Sixteen of those expelled are from the military, a Thursday communique said. Attendance fell to 279 members, below 300 for the first time in Xi Jinping’s 14 years as leader. Removals in his third term now total 51.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Party statements cite serious disciplinary and legal violations without listing specific charges.
- China’s top anti-corruption watchdog said 680,000 people were disciplined in the first nine months of this year.
- Analysts link the discipline drive to personnel choices ahead of the 2027 Party Congress.
What's Happening
- High-ranking expulsions include former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui and ex-generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli.
- Zhang Shengmin was promoted to the Politburo, bringing that body to 22 members.
- Former diplomat Liu Jianchao, who disappeared from public view in July last year, was also named among those purged.
How Thin the Plenum Got
- The fourth plenum in October 2025 had 315 members. The third in July 2024 had 364.
- The current Central Committee began in 2022 with more than 370 members.
- Xi has called corruption the biggest threat to the party since taking power in 2012.
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