Xi Expels 33 Officials at Fifth Plenum, Shrinking PLA High Command to Two Generals Ahead of 2027 Congress

The plenum concluded with the expulsion of figures such as Gen. Zhang Youxia, former MIIT minister Jin Zhuanglong, and CASC chairman Lei Fanpei. Official Xinhua readout cited "serious violations of discipline and law" and "disloyalty to the Party." CCDI deputy Zhang Fuhai reported nearly 8 million punishments since 2012, with 680,000 in the first nine months of this year alone. The aerospace and defense sectors accounted for the largest share of removals.

Documented context shows the purge targets command chains for rockets, warships, and theater commands. Primary records list charges of selling promotions and forming cliques without naming specific foreign contacts. This follows the January removal of Zhang Youxia and aligns with the CCDI's pledge to intensify technology-driven investigations. Institutional structure of the Central Military Commission is now compressed.

Competing interests center on securing loyalty before the 2027 leadership congress. Xi gains tighter control over nuclear and conventional forces at the cost of experienced personnel in procurement and operations. The record shows the party document schedules the next congress for the second half of 2027 and frames the action as eliminating hidden dangers rather than addressing capability gaps.

Next moves will likely include further CCDI actions against remaining theater commanders and defense SOE executives. The pattern indicates accelerated vetting of promotion networks through the end of 2026.