China expels former Politburo member Ma Xingrui in anti-graft purge

China expelled Ma Xingrui from the Communist Party on July 14 after a corruption case that found he had abused power, taken gifts and cash, arranged jobs and helped relatives buy property below market prices. The purge removed a former Politburo member from the ruling elite and put another senior name on a growing list of top officials forced out under Xi Jinping’s anti-graft drive.

The Politburo reviewed and approved the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s handling of Ma’s case on June 30, just over three months after he was placed under investigation in April 2026 for suspected serious violations of law and discipline. Ma had served as party secretary of Xinjiang and was also deputy head of the central rural work leading group, giving him influence across both regional and national policy channels.

State media said the findings went beyond ordinary corruption allegations. Ma was accused of engaging in power-for-sex and money-for-sex transactions, using his position to seek benefits for others, and allowing family members to exploit his influence for gain. The disciplinary watchdog said his conduct after the 18th Party Congress showed no restraint, a formulation that underscored how seriously Beijing treated the case. Other reporting said he was stripped of his National People’s Congress posts on June 27.

Ma’s expulsion made him the third sitting Politburo member purged since 2025, a level of disciplinary action not seen in decades. The earlier cases included former Central Military Commission vice-chairman and Politburo member He Weidong in 2025, and a separate investigation into Central Military Commission vice-chairman Zhang Youxia in early 2026, showing that the campaign has reached both civilian and military power centers.

For foreign governments and markets, the pattern points to more than a routine anti-graft case. Repeated removals at the top suggest that Xi is using discipline not only to punish corruption, but to tighten control over elite behavior, promotions and loyalty inside the Communist Party. Ma’s fall, from Xinjiang to the national leadership, shows how quickly political standing can collapse when Beijing decides a senior official has crossed the line.