Record number of purges as Xi emphasises 'party discipline' at China political gathering

A record 33 members have been expelled from China's Communist Party as it concluded a major annual political gathering, which had the most empty seats ever seen.

The fifth plenum was attended by 279 Central Committee members, compared to 315 at the fourth plenum in October 2025 and 364 at the third one in July 2024.

While recent plenums focused on economic reforms or social and development issues, party discipline took centre stage at this week's gathering.

Xi Jinping has made the fight against corruption a central pillar of his rule since he took the reins in 2012, calling it the "biggest threat" to the party.

Sixteen of the 33 members expelled are from the military, according to a communique issued on Thursday, which marked the end of the four-day closed-door gathering held at a hotel in Beijing.

It's unclear what specific charges these members face beyond "serious disciplinary and legal violations". Such broad allegations have become routine under Xi's anti-corruption campaign.

It has now become "an effort to consolidate and maintain authority", says Chong Ja Ian, a non-resident scholar with Carnegie China.

"In this case, the campaign will continue and expand depending on how secure Xi feels rather than any real issue with corruption."

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