Explainer
Why are so many seats empty at China's Communist Party meeting?
AI-generated text and synthetic voice. How this text is made
The Central Committee met behind closed doors in Beijing, and by its close, 33 officials had been expelled.
Beijing
The body was elected with 376 members, but only 279 attended this session, so more than a quarter stayed away.
376
= 1 member
- attended279
The Central Military Commission, which runs the army, had 7 members, and only 2 remain after a wide-ranging purge.
2
Analyst Neil Thomas links the empty seats to discipline: More empty seats underscores the plenum's focus on Xi's vision of strict internal discipline. Since taking power, Xi has pushed a corruption campaign, and the Guardian notes it may also be used to remove political rivals.
“More empty seats underscores the plenum's focus on Xi's vision of strict internal discipline.”
Watch the explainer
Synthetic voice (AI)
The story
China expels 33 officials at Communist Party plenum, with a record number of empty seatsRead the article
Based on reports by
- TVP InfoPolitical purges in China. Dozens of activists out of the party
- Berliner ZeitungXi Jinping: Record purge in China's CP - 33 expelled, one in four missing
- BBCViolent purge, Xi Jinping emphasizes “party discipline” at the plenary session
- adevarul.roChina, shaken by unprecedented purges: 33 officials were expelled from the Communist Party. Xi Jinping consolidates his control over power
- Neue Zürcher ZeitungXi Jinping and the fear of disloyalty in his own ranks
- The GuardianChina expels a record number from Communist party amid Xi's intensified purges of top officials