Sourced fact
The News
The Communist Party of China has announced the expulsion of a record number of 33 members following its recent annual political meeting, which witnessed its lowest attendance in history. According to BBC News, the Fifth Plenary Session included only 279 members of the Central Committee, compared to 315 members at the Fourth Plenary Session in October 2025 and 364 members at the Third Plenary Session in July 2024.
The focus of this session shifted to party discipline and anti-corruption, with Xi Jinping making anti-corruption a cornerstone of his rule since taking office in 2012, describing it as the "greatest threat" to the party. Official statements released on Thursday indicate that 16 of these expelled members belong to the military, while specific charges were not detailed precisely beyond being described as "serious violations of discipline and law."
This record number of expulsions is the highest since Xi assumed office in his third term, with the total number of expelled members rising to 51 compared to 35 and 5 in the first and second terms, respectively. The expulsions included high-ranking former officials such as Master, former head of the Chenqian Party, former generals Zhang Yushia and Liu Chenli, as well as a prominent diplomat who had disappeared from public view in July of last year.
Analysis & context
Analysis & Context
From an analytical perspective, experts such as Zhong Jia Iyan from Carnegie China argue that this campaign aims to consolidate and maintain authority more than it responds to a real corruption problem. Decisions are made based on Xi's sense of political security rather than specific corruption issues, making expulsions a tool for internal control and purging any elements that could threaten the leadership's loyalty.
In the broader context, this trend represents a fundamental shift in party management where discipline now means absolute loyalty rather than just adherence to laws. Among the expelled generals is Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Yushia, indicating a deep restructuring of military power and reducing the role of those not fully loyal, even if they held high positions previously.
It is expected that this focus on discipline and loyalty will signal Xi's readiness for full control over selecting future leadership for the 21st Party Congress scheduled for 2027. The rising elite is relatively young and possesses technical backgrounds and connections to Xi's political network, making them ideal candidates to confirm his dominance over the country and party in the foreseeable future.
Regarding the distant future, this intense focus on central authority may create a dangerous political vacuum when Xi grows older and slows down in performing his duties. The absolute dominance he builds today could be a double-edged sword, as the system becomes more fragile during leadership transitions or deterioration of the highest leader's health.
