China Confirms Purge of 33 Officials Including Zhang Youxia at Fifth Plenum; Party Congress Scheduled for Latter Half of Next Year

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has finalized the expulsion of 33 senior officials, including former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia, from the party during the 5th Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, known as the Fifth Plenum.

According to a communique released by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency following the conclusion of the plenum, the CCP passed review reports submitted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Central Military Commission regarding "severe violations of discipline and law" at the plenum, which closed in Beijing today (October 29).

Those stripped of their party membership include a large number of high-ranking military figures, such as Zhang Youxia; former Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission Liu Zhenli; Wang Renhua, Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Central Military Commission; former Political Commissar of the Eastern Theater Command Liu Qingsong; former Commander of the Northern Theater Command Huang Ming; and former Army Commander Li Chaoming.

High-ranking party and government officials were also included, such as former Head of the International Department of the CCP Central Committee Liu Jianchao; former Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Ma Xingrui; former Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Lan Tianli; former Chairperson of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Wang Lixia; and former Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong.

Zhang Shengmin, who was promoted to Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission at the Fourth Plenum in April of last year, was additionally elected as a member of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee, China's core power organ.

The party also deliberated and passed a resolution by the Central Committee concerning the advancement of "comprehensive and strict governance over the party," which signifies rigorous party management.

Emphasizing that some issues within the party were shocking in their severity, the communique highlighted that the party has turned the blade inward and applied strict regulations to manage chaos, signaling that the strong anti-corruption stance will continue.

The communique also stated that the 21st National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, where the decision on whether President Xi Jinping will secure a fourth term and the composition of the next top leadership will be determined, will be held in Beijing in the latter half of next year.

Held every five years, the party congress is the highest decision-making body of the CCP, setting the direction for state affairs over the next five years and newly constituting the Central Committee.

This year's Fifth Plenum was attended by 162 full members and 117 alternate members of the Central Committee, a decrease of 36 people compared to the Fourth Plenum last year.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.