China has expelled six generals serving as lawmakers along with prominent officials Li Yunze and Ma Xingrui from the National People's Congress, reflecting an extension of a sweeping purge targeting both military and civilian elites. These removals, announced without explanation, suggest a continuation of Xi Jinping’s strict crackdown on internal party discipline and control.
The National People’s Congress recently ended its 23rd session without providing reasons for the dismissals, a move consistent with prior purges rather than routine legislative turnover. Notably, Ma Xingrui, a Politburo member placed under disciplinary investigation earlier this year, was removed, echoing patterns seen in earlier high-profile cases within the military and financial regulatory agencies. The removal of such influential figures signals growing pressure on the top echelons of power across multiple sectors.
This purge is part of a broader trend documented over more than a year, with major expulsions reported in mid-2025 and early 2026, including military deputies and civilian administrators. At the time, the legislative body comprised nearly 3,000 deputies, reflecting intense top-level oversight of personnel appointments in China’s national legislature.
Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, initially focused on financial misconduct, has since expanded into a tool for consolidating control over the Communist Party’s elite and military leadership. Previous removals, including Admiral Miao Hua from the Central Military Commission, indicated the campaign’s reach into critical command structures responsible for maintaining party loyalty and discipline in the armed forces.
The recent legislative removals are striking because they remove key figures from formal political power before any public disclosure of further disciplinary or legal consequences. For observers within China’s military and economic sectors—and foreign analysts—such unexplained personnel changes have become a clear sign of uncertainty and instability in Xi Jinping’s administration, underscoring the ongoing tightening grip on power structures.