~ Linn Maung ~
China’s ruling Communist Party is preparing for one of its most extensive leadership purges in recent years, with more than 40 Central Committee members expected to be expelled at next month’s Fifth Plenary Session, according to a Chinese national security official in Beijing. If these removals occur, they would highlight the extent of President Xi Jinping’s efforts to consolidate political control as he prepares for a fourth term.
The numbers are significant. Four Central Committee members were expelled at the Third Plenary Session and another 10 at the Fourth. The removal of more than 40 additional members would mean that over a quarter of the 205-member Central Committee elected at the 20th Party Congress has been purged or is facing expulsion.
The purge has also reached deep into the military establishment. Former Central Military Commission vice chairman Zhang Youxia and Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli were removed in January, while Zhong Shaojun, a longtime Xi loyalist who headed the CMC General Office for 11 years, and former Strategic Support Force commander Ju Qiansheng have also lost their positions as National People’s Congress deputies. All four are expected to be formally expelled from the party at the Fifth Plenary Session.
The widening net is particularly revealing. The campaign is no longer simply about eliminating perceived opponents of Xi – it is increasingly about enforcing political reliability across the party and armed forces, including among officials once considered close to the President.
Xi’s remarks on August 17 calling for “strictly governing the party” and strengthening the CCP Central Committee’s “centralised, unified leadership” provide the political framework for the crackdown. Party disciplinary authorities have already removed or investigated 11 ministerial-level officials since the beginning of the year, reportedly the highest annual figure on record.
The campaign could have direct implications for the PLA’s operational readiness. With senior command positions disrupted, the Fifth Plenary Session is expected to prioritise appointments in the Eastern and Central Theatre Commands. The Eastern Theatre Command is responsible for the military direction of the Taiwan Strait and much of the First Island Chain, including Japan-related contingencies, while the Central Theatre Command is responsible for the defence of Beijing.
More importantly, the purge appears to be acquiring an ideological dimension. According to the official, Xi’s campaign targets three forms of “impurity”: ideological disloyalty to Xi, organisational factionalism and conduct deemed overly pro-US or influenced by belief in “peaceful evolution.”
That formulation suggests the campaign is moving beyond conventional anti-corruption enforcement towards political purification. For Xi, the objective is not merely to remove corrupt officials but to eliminate alternative centres of influence and ensure that the party, government and PLA operate with a single political line.
The risk, however, is that such an extensive purge could create precisely the turbulence the leadership seeks to prevent. Rapid turnover at the top of the party and military can disrupt institutional continuity, deepen uncertainty among officials and encourage excessive political caution. The Fifth Plenary Session may therefore offer a revealing test of Xi’s strategy – whether tighter political control can strengthen the system without weakening its ability to govern and fight effectively.
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