Former Chinese Politburo Member Ma Xingrui Indicted In Massive Bribery Case

Former Chinese Politburo member Ma Xingrui has been indicted on bribery charges, accused of abusing senior positions to secure benefits for others and accepting exceptionally large amounts of money and property.

State-run Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday that the Yichang People's Procuratorate in Hubei province had filed the case with the Yichang Intermediate People's Court. The National Supervisory Commission completed the investigation before referral. The Supreme People's Procuratorate ordered Ma's arrest on suspicion of bribery. Prosecutors said Ma was informed of his legal rights, questioned and heard through his defence counsel.

The indictment cites Ma's positions at the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, where he served as deputy general manager and later party secretary and general manager. It also lists his roles as Guangdong deputy party secretary, Shenzhen's party chief, Guangdong's governor and a Politburo member. Prosecutors allege he used the influence of these posts to help others and accept bribes on an exceptionally large scale. No amount has been disclosed.

The case follows an investigation announced in April 2026. In July, the Communist Party expelled Ma and dismissed him from public office. Its disciplinary findings accused him of influencing business operations, project contracts and official promotions; accepting gifts and money; helping relatives buy homes below market prices; and allowing family members to profit from his position. He was also accused of arranging jobs for associates, failing to supervise staff and engaging in exchanges involving power, money and sex. These were party disciplinary findings; the current case concerns criminal bribery charges.

Ma, 67, served as Xinjiang's party chief until 2025 and previously governed Guangdong, a manufacturing hub bordering Hong Kong. He was an aerospace engineer before entering politics. He joined the 24-member Politburo in 2022.

His expulsion was among 33 confirmed at the party's fifth plenum on October 29. The purge included former military leader Zhang Youxia and has left three Politburo members removed since 2022. Ma's case adds to President Xi Jinping's wide-ranging long-running national anti-corruption drive targeting senior civilian and military officials.