Party Discipline: China Expels Record 33 Officials at Plenum

China's Communist Party expelled a record 33 members from its central leadership on Thursday, marking the end of the fifth plenum in Beijing. The four-day closed-door meeting emphasized party discipline over the economic and social development topics that dominated previous annual gatherings. The session concluded with a communique detailing the removals and reaffirming the party's commitment to strict self-governance.

Attendance at the plenum revealed a sharp decline in central committee participation. Two hundred and seventy-nine members attended this year's session, down from 315 at the fourth plenum in October 2025 and 364 at the third plenum in July 2024. This represents the first time in the 14 years of President Xi Jinping's leadership that attendance has fallen below 300. The current Central Committee began its term in 2022 with more than 370 members.

Sixteen of the expelled individuals are military personnel, according to the official statement. The party cited serious disciplinary and legal violations as the reason for their removal, a broad allegation that has become standard under Xi's anti-corruption campaign. Key figures among those purged include former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, former generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, and former diplomat Liu Jianchao, who vanished from public view in July of last year.

Zhang Fuhai, a member of the party's disciplinary commission, addressed a press briefing on Friday. He stated that more than two million individuals have been disciplined since 2012 for issues ranging from bureaucratism to extravagance. Fuhai said the party would continue efforts to ensure officials dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt. The top anti-corruption watchdog reported that 680,000 people within the party apparatus were disciplined in the first nine months of this year.

Chong Ja Ian, a non-resident scholar at Carnegie China, described the purges as an effort to consolidate authority. He noted that the campaign will expand based on how secure Xi feels rather than specific corruption issues. Ja Ian observed that Xi has few qualms about removing individuals he previously promoted, a practice that underscores the current strength of his position within the party.

The removal of high-ranking military leaders has drawn attention to the composition of the Central Military Commission. The seven-member body has been reduced to two: Xi as chairman and Zhang Shengmin as vice-chairman. Zhang Youxia had served as vice-chairman before his expulsion. The Politburo, a powerful 24-member group, was left with 21 members following the removals of Ma, Zhang Youxia, and former general He Weidong in 2025. Zhang Shengmin was promoted to the body at the fifth plenum, bringing the count to 22.

Neil Thomas, Lobsang Tsering, and Shengyu Wang from the Asia Society Policy Institute wrote that the culling of military brass is unique in its impact on organizational leadership and combat readiness. They noted this occurs while China continues to unveil new military hardware. Thomas added that today's rising stars tend to be young, technocratic, and connected to Xi's political network, with provincial leadership ranks being a likely source for future appointments.

Analysts expect the increased focus on discipline to prepare for the 21st Party Congress in 2027, where the party will vote on its next leader. A leadership reshuffle is due that year, and most observers anticipate Xi will secure a fourth term. No leader has served that long except Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China. Xi is expected to dominate personnel selection at the upcoming congress to further centralize control.