China’s Communist Party Confirms 33 Expulsions

China’s Communist Party confirmed the expulsion of 33 officials at the conclusion of a four-day Central Committee meeting on Thursday, including former senior military official Zhang Youxia and former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui. The plenum also promoted Zhang Shengmin, the military’s top disciplinary official, to the Politburo, according to the meeting announcement. The expulsions were confirmed in a communiqué issued as the fifth plenum concluded. The Central Committee described its agenda as advancing full and rigorous party governance, including efforts to address corruption and weaknesses in party leadership. The announcement did not provide detailed evidence for the allegations underlying each expulsion. The communiqué said 279 of the 376 Central Committee members installed in 2022 attended the meeting. The attendance figure reflects the committee’s reduced ranks, although the announcement did not explain every absence. One report said 16 of the 33 expelled officials were from the military. Zhang Shengmin’s promotion places him on the Politburo, the party’s senior decision-making body. He has overseen anti-corruption investigations within the military and serves as a...