Naypyidaw, Sep 16 (IANS) As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) prepares for one of its most extensive leadership purges in years, the campaign appears to be taking on an increasingly ideological character, a report has stated.
Citing a Chinese national security official in Beijing, it said President Xi Jinping’s campaign is targeting three forms of “impurity”: ideological disloyalty to Xi, organisational factionalism, and conduct seen as overly pro-US or shaped by belief in “peaceful evolution”.
The formulation indicated that the campaign may be extending beyond conventional anti-corruption measures towards a broader process of political purification. For Xi, the aim is not simply to oust corrupt officials but also to dismantle alternative centres of influence and ensure that the party, government and Chinese army adhere to a unified political line, a report in Mekong News Myanmar detailed.
More than 40 members of China’s Central Committee are expected to be expelled at next month’s Fifth Plenary Session in Beijing, according to the official. If carried out, the removals would underscore the scale of Xi’s efforts to tighten his political control as he prepares to seek a fourth term, it noted.
“The numbers are significant. Four Central Committee members were expelled at the Third Plenary Session and another 10 at the Fourth. The removal of more than 40 additional members would mean that over a quarter of the 205-member Central Committee elected at the 20th Party Congress has been purged or is facing expulsion,” the report stated.
“The purge has also reached deep into the military establishment. Former Central Military Commission vice chairman Zhang Youxia and Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli were removed in January, while Zhong Shaojun, a longtime Xi loyalist who headed the CMC General Office for 11 years, and former Strategic Support Force commander Ju Qiansheng have also lost their positions as National People’s Congress deputies. All four are expected to be formally expelled from the party at the Fifth Plenary Session,” it detailed.
According to the report, the widening crackdown points to a broader objective: ensuring political allegiance across the CCP and the armed forces, rather than merely removing Xi’s perceived rivals. The campaign now appears to be reaching even officials once regarded as close to the Chinese President.
Warning that such an extensive purge could also risk triggering the political turbulence Beijing is seeking to contain, the report said, “Rapid turnover at the top of the party and military can disrupt institutional continuity, deepen uncertainty among officials and encourage excessive political caution. The Fifth Plenary Session may therefore offer a revealing test of Xi’s strategy – whether tighter political control can strengthen the system without weakening its ability to govern and fight effectively.”
–IANS
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