CCP expels 33 members in unprecedented purge as military command faces gaps

At the fifth plenum of the 20th Central Committee this week, 16 of those expelled came from the military, with only two of the seven Central Military Commission members now remaining. The committee, originally 376 full and alternate members named in 2022, had only 279 in attendance, with many believed to be under investigation.

The scale of the expulsions is unprecedented in nearly half a century, leaving a record number of empty seats and raising questions about China’s military expansion while its core decision-makers remain unsettled. Xi has overseen the anti-corruption campaign since taking power in late 2012, and Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Zhang Fuhai told reporters on Friday that 7.9 million individuals have been punished, including over 960 senior officials. “The fight against corruption remains serious, complicated, and eradicating the breeding ground for corruption remains a formidable task,” Zhang said.

Among those expelled are Zhang Youxia, formerly China's most senior military general, and Liu Jianchao, a senior diplomat once tipped as the next foreign minister. But one figure has been elevated: general Zhang Shengmin, a key player in Xi's anti-corruption campaign, was promoted to the Politburo. Neil Thomas, senior fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the promotion reinforces the importance of anti-corruption work in the military.

Joseph Torigian, a professor of Chinese studies at American University in Washington D.C., said the meeting sends a signal as Xi is widely expected to seek an unprecedented fourth term as party general secretary at the next congress in the second half of 2027. "This is Xi Jinping setting up for the next party congress next year by ensuring that everybody is on the same page as him," Torigian said.

The plenum also emphasised accelerating modernisation of the People’s Liberation Army and continuing the party’s work on Taiwan. Deng Yuwen, former editor of a communist party newspaper, said Xi would seek to resolve the Taiwan question. Speaking about Xi’s next term, Deng said: “If I were to put in absolute terms, I would say his next term is 100 per cent.”

Chen Minglu, associate professor of Chinese politics at the University of Sydney, said the anti-corruption campaign is also about the party’s governing capacity and ensuring central policies are implemented. Meanwhile, the purge has created vacancies that could allow lower-ranking talents to rise, potentially renewing leadership without necessarily challenging Xi’s authority.

The plenum’s emphasis on party governance comes amid the fallout from French soccer star Kylian Mbappé referring to Mao as “a Chinese dictator”, which saw him cancelled by Chinese commercial partners. China’s foreign ministry described criticism of Mao as a confronting statement to the Chinese people.