Beijing Purges 33 Senior Officials as Xi Tightens Control Ahead of Party Congress

China’s ruling Communist Party has wrapped up its most significant political gathering of the year by confirming the expulsion of 33 senior members, highlighting the relentless reach of leader Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive. The four-day fifth plenum of the CPC Central Committee, which opened Monday and concluded Thursday in Beijing, served as a stark reminder of the ongoing consolidation of power at the highest levels of government.

The scale of the political shift was visible inside the meeting room itself. Of the 376 full and alternate central committee members originally appointed in 2022, only 279 attended. More than a quarter of the governing body was absent, with many believed to be facing official investigations. On Friday, senior officials took to the stage to detail the ongoing crackdowns, including Zhang Fuhai, Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, alongside moderator Wang Gang and Executive Vice Minister Hu Heping.

Purges Hit Military Ranks and Diplomatic Corps

The latest list of 33 expelled officials includes prominent names from both the armed forces and the foreign ministry. Among those removed were Zhang Youxia, previously China’s top military general, and Liu Jianchao, a veteran diplomat who had been widely viewed as a candidate for foreign minister. The targeted removals highlight how deeply the discipline apparatus has cut into the nation’s core institutions.

According to Neil Thomas, a senior fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute, the high-level military ranks have “almost completely been purged in the last three or four years.” Yet while many fell, general Zhang Shengmin not only survived the purges but gained a seat on the Politburo, which comprises more than 20 of China’s most powerful officials. As a key figure in the anti-corruption apparatus, his elevation reinforces the party’s focus on military discipline.

Setting the Stage for Next Year’s Congress

Political analysts view the meeting’s heavy emphasis on internal discipline as strategic groundwork for next year’s major party congress, where Xi is widely expected to seek a fourth term in office. Joseph Torigian, a professor of Chinese studies at American University in Washington D.C., noted the broader message behind the proceedings: “This is Xi Jinping setting up for the next party congress next year by ensuring that everybody is on the same page as him.”

The internal discipline campaign carries significant implications for international security. Thomas noted that Xi’s focus on party stability influences Washington’s strategic calculations about potential conflict over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and ongoing disputes with the U.S. “The focus of this fifth plenum suggests to me that Xi is unlikely to take that risk until he feels more comfortable with the party that he leads,” Thomas said.

Since Xi assumed power in late 2012, China’s anti-corruption machinery has disciplined 7.9 million individuals, a total that includes more than 960 senior officials. Speaking to journalists on Friday, Zhang Fuhai warned that “the fight against corruption remains serious, complicated. And eradicating the breeding ground for corruption remains a formidable task.” Party leadership is expected to release the full formal decisions and potential deliverables from the plenum in the coming days.