China Expels Record 33 Senior Officials as Xi Jinping Tightens Grip Ahead of Fourth Term

China’s ruling Communist Party has expelled a record 33 senior officials, including several top military figures, as President Xi Jinping intensifies his anti-corruption campaign ahead of next year’s party congress, where he is widely expected to secure an unprecedented fourth five-year term.

The decision was announced on Thursday following a four-day meeting of the party’s Central Committee, known as the Fifth Plenum, in Beijing. The gathering also elevated General Zhang Shengmin, a key figure in the military's anti-corruption drive, to the powerful Politburo, the party’s top decision-making body.

Among those expelled were former senior generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. As many as 16 of the 33 officials belonged to the military, highlighting the extent of the crackdown within China's armed forces.

Zhang Shengmin, who serves as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), previously headed the military's anti-corruption machinery. Following the removal of two senior generals, the seven-member commission has been reduced to just two members, President Xi and Zhang.

The latest expulsions take the total number of Central Committee members removed during Xi's third term to 51, compared with 35 in his first term and five in his second. China's anti-corruption watchdog also reported that 680,000 people across the party apparatus were disciplined during the first nine months of 2026.

Unlike previous meetings that focused heavily on economic reforms, this plenum placed particular emphasis on party discipline and internal governance, reinforcing Xi's campaign launched in 2012.

The meeting also recorded unusually low attendance, with only 162 of the 205 full Central Committee members participating, a turnout of around 79 per cent.

The party confirmed that its 21st National Congress will be held in Beijing in the second half of 2027. The gathering is expected to bring leadership changes across the party, government and military, while potentially paving the way for Xi, 73, to secure a fourth term and extend his hold over China's political establishment.