China purges third Politburo member

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 an 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. Ma's membership in the country's parliament was also stripped last month.

"A decision to purge someone of Ma Xingrui's rank is taken at the very top, with Xi Jinping's backing," said Jean Christopher Mittelstaedt, professor of modern Chinese studies at the University of Zurich.