China Expels 33 Senior Officials in Record Military Purge

The Communist Party of China expelled a record 33 senior officials following the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee, which concluded on October 29, 2026. The purge heavily targeted the military-industrial sector and high-ranking leadership, including 16 military generals. Notable expulsions include former Politburo member and top general Zhang Youxia, former top Xinjiang official Ma Xingrui, and former International Department head Liu Jianchao, as well as the former chairmen of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, and China National Nuclear Corporation.

Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin are the only two remaining active members of the seven-member Central Military Commission. While Zhang Shengmin was promoted to the Politburo for his role in the anti-graft drive, the broader purge has left the commission severely depleted and the Politburo with only 22 of its usual 25 members. The plenum saw its lowest attendance rate since the Cultural Revolution, with only 279 of 376 members present.

Zhang Fuhai, deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, stated the party has "eliminated serious hidden dangers" under the leadership of the president. He noted that discipline inspection organs have punished 7.9 million people since 2012. Analysts suggest the removals are a strategy to consolidate control and vet leadership before the 2027 Party Congress, though some express concern that the talent shortage may impact the military's capability to conduct a conflict over Taiwan.