China’s Xi Urges Party Discipline as Purges Reach Record High
WHO:
The Guardian - Confirmed expulsions included Zhang Youxia, identified as the former second-in-command in China’s military hierarchy, and Ma Xingrui, identified as the former party secretary for Xinjiang.
The Guardian - Zhang Shengmin was promoted to the Chinese Communist Party’s politburo and became its only military member.
BBC News - Xi emphasized party discipline at a Chinese political gathering.
BBC News - The Chinese Communist Party was the subject of the reported purges and discipline campaign.
BBC News - Observers said Xi’s anti-corruption campaign had become “an effort to consolidate and maintain authority.”
BBC - The party said it had “squarely confronted the grim reality that party leadership had at times weakened or hollwed out.”
WHAT:
The Guardian - Thirty-three members were expelled at the fifth plenum.
The Guardian - Of the 376 Central Committee members named in 2022, 279 attended; more than 25% of the original cohort were absent, the highest number of “empty chairs” at a plenum in modern Chinese history.
The Guardian - The Central Military Commission had two members remaining: Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin.
The Guardian - The fifth plenum laid groundwork for the 21st Party congress, expected in the second half of 2027.
BBC News - The article reported a record number of purges and Xi’s emphasis on “party discipline.”
BBC News - Xi’s anti-corruption campaign was described by observers as an effort to consolidate and maintain authority.
BBC - The party said it would continue to “enforce strict party self-governance, including turning the knife inwards to... curb disorder.”
Drudge Report - The linked headline said China’s Communist Party seeks to tighten discipline.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The fifth plenum’s opening session was held in Beijing.
BBC News - The gathering was described as a political gathering in China.
WHY:
The Guardian - Neil Thomas of the Asia Society said the empty seats underscored the plenum’s focus on Xi’s vision of strict internal discipline.
BBC News - Observers characterized the anti-corruption campaign as an effort to consolidate and maintain authority.
BBC - The party cited the weakening or hollowing out of party leadership as a problem it had confronted.
HOW:
BBC - The party said it would pursue strict party self-governance and “turn[] the knife inwards” to curb disorder.
(UPDATED October 30, 2026 04:01 UTC)
China’s Communist Party expelled 33 members at its fifth plenum, including former military second-in-command Zhang Youxia and former Xinjiang party secretary Ma Xingrui, leaving Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin as the only members of the Central Military Commission. More than a quarter of the Central Committee members named in 2022 were absent, while Zhang Shengmin was promoted to the Politburo as its sole military member. Xi stressed party discipline, and the party pledged stricter internal governance; observers described the anti-corruption campaign as an effort to consolidate and maintain his authority, as the plenum laid groundwork for the 21st Party congress expected in the second half of 2027.
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(UPDATED October 29, 2026 17:06 UTC)
At a political gathering in China, Xi Jinping emphasized party discipline as the Communist Party reported a record number of purges. Observers described his anti-corruption campaign as an effort to consolidate and maintain authority. The party said it had confronted instances of weakened leadership and would continue strict self-governance to curb disorder.