China's Communist Party has expelled 33 senior officials, including some of its top military leaders, in a major disciplinary crackdown ahead of the 21st Party Congress in 2027. The move reflects President Xi Jinping's continued efforts to tighten his control over the ruling party and military.

The expulsions were confirmed in an official communique released on Thursday after a four-day meeting of the Communist Party's Central Committee in Beijing. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee took place from October 26 to 29.

According to Reuters, those expelled include former Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia, former Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli, former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, former senior diplomat Liu Jianchao, former Industry Minister Jin Zhuanglong and former securities regulator chief Yi Huiman.

The communique said the Central Committee had reviewed reports of serious violations of party discipline and the law. However, it did not disclose specific allegations against the officials.

The military faced the biggest impact, with 16 of the 33 expelled officials belonging to the People's Liberation Army (PLA), according to BBC Monitoring. The removal of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli marks a major shake-up in China's military leadership. The CMC oversees the country's armed forces and is chaired by Xi.

Their removal has left the commission with only two serving members: Xi Jinping and General Zhang Shengmin. Zhang Shengmin, who has played a key role in the military's anti-corruption campaign, was also elected to the Communist Party's Politburo during the session.

The crackdown also targeted senior officials across China's diplomatic, industrial, financial and regional administrations. These include former International Department head Liu Jianchao, former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, former Guangxi chairman Lan Tianli, former Inner Mongolia chairwoman Wang Lixia, former Industry and Information Technology Minister Jin Zhuanglong and former securities regulator chief Yi Huiman. Separately, Li Yunze, former head of China's financial regulator, was removed from his party position.

The scale of the purge was also visible in the meeting's attendance. A total of 162 full members and 117 alternate members attended, taking the number to 279 out of the 376 members elected in 2022. This accounts for around 74.2 per cent of the committee. It was the first time under Xi's 14-year leadership that attendance at a plenary session fell below 300. The previous session in October 2025 recorded 315 attendees.

The developments come as China prepares for its 21st National Congress, scheduled for the second half of 2027 in Beijing. Xi, who became president in 2013 and secured an unprecedented third term as party general secretary in 2022, is expected to seek another term. This could extend his leadership into the 2030s.