33 senior Chinese officials expelled as anti-corruption purge widens

China’s Communist Party has finalized the removal of 33 senior members from its central committee, a move that tightens the grip on the nation’s leadership structure. The decision marks the conclusion of the party’s fifth plenum, a high-level gathering that ran from Monday to Thursday. The purge affects top-ranking figures in both the military and diplomatic sectors, altering the power dynamics within Beijing's inner circle.

Attendance figures underscore the scale of the internal shakeup. Of the 376 full and alternate central committee members originally named in 2022, only 279 attended the session. That leaves more than a quarter of the group absent, many of whom are reportedly under investigation. The absence of such a large portion of the leadership reflects the ongoing intensity of the anti-corruption drive.

Two prominent figures lost their membership during the plenum. Zhang Youxia, formerly the country's most senior military general, and Liu Jianchao, a senior diplomat previously considered for the foreign minister role, were among the 33 expelled. Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, noted that the military leadership ranks have been almost completely purged in the last three to four years.

Amid the removals, one general rose in rank. Zhang Shengmin, a key figure in the anti-corruption campaign, was promoted to the Politburo, the body of more than 20 top party officials. Thomas said this elevation reinforces the priority of anti-corruption work within the military. Joseph Torigian, a professor of Chinese studies at American University, described the situation as having a lot of churn, raising questions about who President Xi Jinping will select to fill ranks before the next party congress.

The meeting also addressed the need for stricter party discipline. Torigian explained that Xi aims to maintain the party's conviction by convincing members to place the Communist Party at the center of their lives rather than their own interests. He added that this focus is central to Xi's desire to prevent the regime from degrading or collapsing, a fate that has befallen other communist parties.

Zhang Fuhai, Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, told reporters on Friday that the fight against corruption remains serious and complicated. He stated that 7.9 million individuals have been punished since the campaign began in late 2012, including over 960 senior officials. The party also plans to increase regular reporting from discipline inspectors to central authorities to add scrutiny on local officials.

Analysts warn that the drive for purity may have unintended consequences. Thomas suggested that local officials might act cautiously to avoid attracting the attention of the discipline system, potentially leading to more inertia and less experimentation. Torigian noted that Xi has complained about excessive formalities, describing the issue as a failure to achieve tangible results despite holding numerous meetings. Full decisions from the plenum are expected to be published in the coming days.