China Sees Record Communist Party Purges Under Xi Jinping

The Chinese Communist Party concluded its annual meeting with the expulsion of 33 members from the Central Committee. This event marked the highest number of removals recorded in a single meeting under the leadership of Xi Jinping. The total quorum fell to 279 participants, marking the first time in 14 years that attendance has dropped below 300.

Party discipline was the central theme of the event held in Beijing. Among those expelled, 16 members belong to the military sector. The government justified the removals by citing serious disciplinary and legal violations, although specific details regarding the accusations were not publicly disclosed.

Since taking power in 2012, Xi Jinping has used anti-corruption campaigns as a pillar of his administration. More than two million individuals have been punished for conduct such as bureaucratism and extravagance. The disciplinary commission states that the goal is to ensure public officials have neither the means nor the desire to commit illicit acts.

Analysts observe that the current move seeks to consolidate the Chinese leader's authority. The total number of members removed during Xi's third term has already reached 51. In the first nine months of this year alone, approximately 680,000 people were disciplined throughout the Chinese state apparatus.