Beijing — China Confirms Expulsion of 33 Officials in Xi Purge

China's Communist Party has confirmed the expulsion of 33 officials, including a prominent former diplomat, according to reporting by The New York Times published Oct. 29, 2026. The Times reported the removals as part of an effort by Xi Jinping to enforce loyalty within the party as he prepares to claim a fourth term as China's leader.

What did China's Communist Party confirm about the expulsions?

The party confirmed that 33 officials have been expelled, the Times reported, framing the action as part of a loyalty-enforcement effort ahead of a leadership transition in which Xi is expected to seek a fourth term. The report reviewed by HTT News did not list the names, ranks, or specific disciplinary charges for each of the 33 individuals, and those details could not be independently verified beyond what the Times published.

Who is Liu Jianchao, and why does his removal stand out?

Liu Jianchao is identified in the Times report as a prominent former diplomat and was named specifically among the 33 officials removed. The report does not include his most recent title, the agency or ministry he most recently served, or the stated grounds for his expulsion. His case stands out mainly because the Times named him individually, while the remaining officials among the 33 were not identified by name in the material available to this desk.

How does the purge connect to Xi's bid for a fourth term?

The Times links the expulsions directly to Xi's preparation to claim a fourth term as party leader, a tenure length beyond the two-term pattern that shaped earlier Chinese leadership transitions. The report does not specify the date or venue of any congress or meeting at which a fourth term would be formally confirmed, nor does it describe the criteria party disciplinary bodies used to select which officials faced removal. Those mechanics are not addressed in the sourcing reviewed for this report.

What remains unconfirmed?

Several basic facts are not established in the available reporting. It is unclear whether the 33 expulsions occurred over days, weeks, or a longer period, and whether additional officials currently face pending investigations that could add to that total. The report does not say whether Liu Jianchao has issued a public response to his removal or whether he faces separate legal proceedings beyond expulsion from the party. Any figures, allegations, or outcomes not stated directly in the Times report should be treated as unconfirmed, and HTT News has not independently verified them.

What do the numbers show?

• 33 — the number of officials the Communist Party has expelled, as confirmed in the Times' reporting.
• 4th — the term Xi Jinping is preparing to claim as party leader, according to the same report.

No additional figures — such as a historical comparison to prior purges or the total size of the party membership affected — appear in the sourcing available for this report, so none are cited here.

Why does the purge matter beyond China's borders?

Party discipline campaigns of this scale shape how foreign governments, trading partners, and companies assess continuity inside China's bureaucracy, particularly when a high-profile former diplomat is among those removed. HTT News has separately covered shifts inside China's domestic economy, including a report on industrial tourism gaining popularity in China, though that earlier report did not address internal party personnel actions and is cited here only as background on broader domestic trends, not as corroboration of the purge itself.

Glossary

• Purge: The removal of officials from a political party's ranks, sometimes paired with disciplinary or legal proceedings.
• Fourth term: A tenure beyond the two-term limit that shaped earlier transitions of power in China's recent political history.
• Expulsion: Formal removal of a member from the Communist Party, distinct from criminal prosecution, though the two can occur together.

HTT News will update this report if additional primary documentation — such as official party disciplinary notices — becomes available.

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