China's ruling Communist Party has confirmed the expulsion of 33 senior officials and promoted its top general, Zhang Shengmin, to the elite Politburo, closing a four-day meeting that underlined the scale of President Xi Jinping's long-running drive to tighten discipline inside the party and the military. The decisions were set out in the communique of the party's Fifth Plenum, released by the official Xinhua news agency on Thursday.

Who was expelled

The expelled officials include former Politburo member Ma Xingrui and former senior military leader Zhang Youxia, along with former senior diplomat Liu Jianchao, former industry minister Jin Zhuanglong and former securities regulator chief Yi Huiman. Former military official Liu Zhenli was also named. Li Yunze, the former head of China's financial regulator, was removed from his position within the party, according to the communique.

Record-low attendance

The meeting of the Central Committee, the party's largest top decision-making body, was attended by 279 full and alternate members, compared with 376 originally named in 2022. That means more than a quarter of the original cohort was absent, a post-Mao record that reflects how far the anti-corruption campaign and wider political shake-up have reached into the leadership. The plenum also set the party's 21st Congress for the second half of 2027, opening the choreographed contest for the next generation of top posts.

Why Zhang Shengmin's rise matters

Zhang Shengmin, vice chair of the Central Military Commission and head of its discipline inspection body, is now one of only a small number of military figures left at the very top of the party after a sweeping purge of the armed forces' high command. Analysts say his elevation signals that loyalty and discipline will shape the next phase of military leadership as Beijing prepares for the 2027 congress.

Sources: Reuters and Reuters.