China purges third Politburo member in deepening anti-graft drive

BEIJING - China has expelled Ma Xingrui, a former Politburo member, from the ruling Communist Party on corruption charges, making him the third sitting member of the elite decision-making body to be purged since 2025 as President Xi Jinping intensifies his anti-graft campaign.

Ma, who also served as the deputy head ​of the central rural work leading group, was placed under investigation in April over suspected "serious violation of law and discipline" - the party's euphemism for corruption.

Investigators found that Ma had sought benefits for others in the selection and appointment of officials and improperly arranged jobs for others, Xinhua reported.

He also illegally accepted gifts, helped relatives purchase property at below-market prices and engaged in exchanges involving power and money for sex, according to the report.

Ma allowed his family members to leverage his official influence to obtain huge benefits, engaging in what authorities described as large-scale "family corruption," while illegally accepting huge sums of money and property. Xinhua did not specify the amount involved.

Ma could not be reached for comment.

The expulsion marks the latest escalation in Xi's years-long fight to root out corruption, which has ensnared senior party, government and military officials.

In January, China opened a corruption investigation into Zhang Youxia, the military's most senior general. He Weidong, a former vice chair of the Central Military Commission, was expelled from the Communist Party in October last year.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 12:18 AM.