China Communist Party Expels 33 Officials as Absences Hit Record

What changed

China’s Communist Party expelled 33 officials at its fifth plenum, held from Oct. 26 to Oct. 29, 2026. Only 279 of the 376 full and alternate members named in 2022 attended, leaving 25.8% absent, the highest rate in the post-Mao era. The party also scheduled its 21st Party Congress for the second half of 2027, when Xi Jinping is expected to seek another five-year term.

Why it matters

This is a leadership reshuffle already visible before the formal reshuffle arrives. Three sitting Politburo members have been ousted during the current term, while five of the seven Central Military Commission members appointed in 2022 have been purged. The remaining two are Xi and Zhang Shengmin, a discipline official who was elevated to the Politburo this week.

The message is blunt: Xi’s anti-corruption campaign is still reaching into the party’s highest ranks, including the military command. The party says that internal purges have removed hidden dangers and restored discipline. The clearest reading is that political loyalty and control remain central to how China’s leadership is being rebuilt.

The 2027 congress now gives that process a fixed destination. What remains unclear is whether the extraordinary turnover will change how policy is implemented or how military operations are run.