Xi Jinping’s Anti-Corruption Purge Tightens Ahead of the Fifth Plenum

Beijing’s deputy mayor, who days earlier hosted Walmart CEO John Furner, has disappeared from public view as the Communist Party’s anti-corruption drive continues to engulf senior officials. The purge reaches the highest echelons of the party and military, leaving the Central Military Commission reduced to only two members—Xi Jinping and discipline chief Zhang Shengmin. The crackdown is being closely watched ahead of the party’s fifth plenum, a closed-door meeting of more than 200 senior cadres scheduled for this week.

CNN

Since assuming power in 2012, Xi Jinping has framed anti-graft work as essential to “full and rigorous self-governance.” In 2022 he urged cadres to “turn the blade inward,” and in 2023 the nation’s most powerful generals pledged allegiance to the Constitution. The campaign has become a central tool for consolidating Xi’s authority and for eliminating potential rivals before the 21st Party Congress, where he is expected to secure a fourth term.

CNN

• Ministerial-level probes (2012-2022): over 500 officials, according to the Central Commission of Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

The Guardian

• Purges in the past three years: more than 410 officials, CCDI data.

CNN

• Investigations launched last year: more than 1 million people, including over 100 at ministerial or provincial level, reported by Chinese disciplinary authorities.

CNN

• Central Military Commission membership: down from seven members to two (Xi and Zhang Shengmin).

CNN

• Politburo size: reduced from 24 to 21 members.

CNN

Party documents reiterate that corruption remains “grave” and that the struggle against graft is “never-ending.” Officials have warned that failure to uphold discipline could threaten the Party’s ruling status.

CNN

• “Whoever he promotes will become his loyalist,” — Deng

CNN

• “It is a deeply ingrained part of [Xi’s] worldview,” — Kerry Brown.

The Guardian

• 2012: Xi Jinping assumes leadership of the CCP and launches the anti-corruption campaign.

CNN

• 2020 Nov 24 (scheduled): Former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan appears at an economics forum in Hangzhou.

CNN

• 2022: Xi calls for “turning the blade inward.”

The Guardian

• 2023: All seven CMC members attend a promotion ceremony.

The Guardian

• 2025-2026: Ongoing purges reduce CMC to two members; Zhang Shengmin remains alongside Xi.

The Guardian

• 2026 (this week): Fifth plenum convenes with over 200 senior officials.

The Guardian

The purge removes senior cadres who could challenge Xi’s authority, leaving a younger generation of officials without traditional patronage networks. By eliminating rivals before the 21st Party Congress, Xi strengthens his position to secure a fourth term, reshaping China’s leadership structure.

The Guardian

CNN’s CCDI figures (over 500 ministerial-level probes, 410 recent purges) differ markedly from The Guardian’s claim of more than 1 million investigations launched in the last year. The sources do not reconcile these totals, leaving uncertainty about the full scale of the campaign. The exact criteria for “spiritual corruption” and how it is applied remain opaque.

CNN