Xi Jinping Purges 33 Officials Ahead of Fourth Term
Xi Jinping expelled 33 senior officials and promoted General Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo during a Central Committee plenum to consolidate power before the 2027 party congress.
The Communist Party of China concluded a four-day Central Committee plenum in Beijing on October 29, 2026, confirming the expulsion of 33 senior political and military officials. The purge, authorized by the Politburo, included 16 military members, such as former senior general Zhang Youxia and former military secretary to Xi Jinping, Zhong Shaojun, as well as former International Department head Liu Jianchao.
Attendance at the meeting dropped to 279 members, roughly 74 percent of the original 376, marking the lowest turnout since the Mao Zedong era. This decline reflects a 14-year anti-corruption campaign that has ousted thousands of officials. During the session, the committee adopted a strategic plan for full and rigorous party self-governance to combat corruption and bureaucratic decay.
As part of the leadership reshuffle, General Zhang Shengmin, the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission who oversaw military corruption investigations, was promoted to the Politburo. Zhang is now the only military member of the body, following the removal of other top generals. These actions serve as a precursor to the party congress scheduled for the second half of 2027, where Xi Jinping is expected to seek a fourth five-year term and install a new leadership team.
