Record number of purges as Xi emphasises 'party discipline' at China political gathering

What the report says

Chinese President Xi Jinping used a major Communist Party gathering in Beijing to underscore “party discipline,” as officials expelled a record 33 members from the party at the close of the fifth plenum, according to BBC World News. The four-day closed-door meeting ended on Thursday, and the attendance of 279 Central Committee members was the lowest seen in Xi’s 14 years in power, reflecting a sizeable wave of removals and absences.

The BBC reported that 16 of those expelled came from the military, including several high-ranking figures. Among the names cited were former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, ex-top generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, and former diplomat Liu Jianchao. The official language used by the party referred broadly to “serious disciplinary and legal violations,” a formulation that has often accompanied Xi’s anti-corruption drives.

Observers quoted by the broadcaster said the campaign has increasingly come to signal loyalty as well as anti-graft enforcement. Chong Ja Ian of Carnegie China described it as an effort to consolidate authority, while other analysts said the military purge could raise questions about leadership and readiness. BBC also noted that the latest expulsions bring the total removed during Xi’s third term to a record 51.

The emphasis on discipline comes ahead of next year’s Party Congress and amid expectations that Xi will seek to extend his hold on power. In broader context, China’s leadership has long used anti-corruption campaigns to punish misconduct, but the BBC report says the current drive is widely seen as tied to internal control and political loyalty.