Xi’s big clean-up: China expels 33 top officials as military leadership faces upheaval

China’s Communist Party has expelled 33 senior officials, including some of the country’s most powerful military leaders, in one of the biggest disciplinary crackdowns in recent decades.

The move comes as President Xi Jinping continues to tighten his control over the ruling party ahead of the 21st Party Congress, scheduled for the second half of 2027.

The expulsions were confirmed in an official communique released on Thursday following a four-day meeting of the Communist Party’s Central Committee in Beijing. The meeting, known as the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, was held from October 26 to 29.

According to Reuters, those expelled include former Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia, former Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli, former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, former senior diplomat Liu Jianchao, former Industry Minister Jin Zhuanglong and former securities regulator chief Yi Huiman.

The official communique said the Central Committee had reviewed reports concerning serious violations of party discipline and the law by the officials. However, it did not provide specific details of the allegations against each individual.

Military leadership faces major shake-up

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was among the worst-affected institutions, with 16 of the 33 expelled officials belonging to the military, according to BBC Monitoring.

Among the most prominent figures removed were Zhang Youxia, who served as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, who headed the commission’s Joint Staff Department.

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Their removal is particularly significant given their senior positions in China’s military command structure. The Central Military Commission is responsible for overseeing the country’s armed forces and is chaired by Xi himself.

The latest expulsions have left the commission with only two serving members, namely Xi and General Zhang Shengmin.

Zhang Shengmin, who has played a key role in the military’s anti-corruption drive, was also elected to the Communist Party’s Politburo during the plenary session.

Civilian officials across key sectors also targeted

The crackdown was not limited to the armed forces. Several senior figures from China’s diplomatic, industrial, financial and regional administrations were also expelled.

The list includes:

The official communique also confirmed disciplinary action against several other senior officials. Separately, Li Yunze, former head of China’s financial regulator, was removed from his position within the party.

Central Committee attendance falls below 300

The scale of the crackdown was also reflected in the attendance at the four-day meeting.

According to the official communique, 162 full members and 117 alternate members of the Central Committee attended the session, taking the total to 279.

This represents around 74.2 per cent of the 376 full and alternate members elected at the 20th Party Congress in 2022.

This was the first time during Xi’s 14-year leadership that attendance at a Central Committee plenary session had fallen below 300. The previous meeting, held in October 2025, had 315 attendees.

China’s anti-corruption campaign has also continued to expand across government institutions. The latest developments come amid an extensive disciplinary drive targeting officials at different levels of the party and military.

Xi’s fourth-term prospects in focus

The latest expulsions come as Xi approaches the 2027 Party Congress, where the Communist Party will decide its next leadership arrangements.

The party confirmed during the plenary session that its 21st National Congress would be held in Beijing in the second half of 2027.

Xi, who became China’s president in 2013 and secured an unprecedented third term as party general secretary in 2022, is expected to seek another term, potentially extending his leadership into the 2030s.