Chinese Communist Party confirms expulsion of 33 officials - NHKニュース

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party has confirmed the expulsion of 33 senior officials at a key meeting.

The committee concluded its four-day fifth plenary session in Beijing on Thursday. Participants adopted a resolution calling for what it described as "full and rigorous Party self-governance."

The participants upheld earlier decisions by the committee's Political Bureau to expel the officials for what it called "grave violations of discipline and the law."

They included former high-ranking military officers, such as Zhang Youxia, who served as the country's top uniformed military commander.

Another expelled official was Liu Jianchao, who had headed the International Department of the Central Committee and was considered a possible candidate for foreign minister.

A communique on the meeting stressed the need to strengthen the committee's "centralized, unified leadership over anti-corruption work."

It also called for the adoption of "a holistic approach" combining severe punishment, targeted remedies and effective prevention to carry the fight against corruption "through to the end."

The participants elected Zhang Shengmin, the country's current top uniformed military officer, to the Political Bureau, which ranks second only to the party's top leadership. Zhang is one of only two current members of the Central Military Commission. The other is President Xi Jinping.

The participants also decided to convene the party's next National Congress in Beijing in the second half of next year. The congress is held once every five years to set a new leadership lineup.

Analysts say the leadership under Xi is seeking to tighten discipline within the party ahead of the National Congress.