Purges Deepen in Beijing as Two Sitting Politburo Members Vanish from China’s "Two Sessions" Political Summit

Top Chinese officials Zhang Youxia and Ma Xingrui vanish from the 2026 "Two Sessions" in Beijing. Read about the deepening purges within the Politburo.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 4, 2026, 5:10 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Straits Times

High-Level Absences at the Great Hall of the People

As thousands of delegates gathered in Beijing on Wednesday for the opening of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a significant void was visible within the inner sanctum of the Communist Party. Zhang Youxia, China’s top-ranking general, and Ma Xingrui, the influential former party chief of Xinjiang, were both absent from the Politburo’s designated seating. Their disappearance from the nation’s premier political events—the CPPCC and the National People's Congress (NPC)—suggests that the wave of political purges characterizes the current administration has reached a new peak, ensnaring officials at the very top of the power hierarchy.

The Decimation of the Central Military Commission

The absence of Zhang Youxia is particularly consequential for China’s military governance. Zhang, who serves as a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), was reportedly placed under investigation in January 2026. This follow-up follows the October expulsion of He Weidong, the other CMC co-vice chair, on corruption charges. With both senior generals removed, the CMC—the body that commands the world’s largest standing army—has been effectively reduced to just two active members: Chairman Xi Jinping and the newly promoted Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin. This consolidation represents an unprecedented centralization of military authority under President Xi.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Ma Xingrui

Ma Xingrui’s political trajectory has also taken an abrupt turn. Formerly the top official in the strategically vital Xinjiang region, Ma was officially removed from his post in July with a vague promise of "another position" that never materialized. He has not been seen in public since the Central Committee's Fourth Plenum in late October. His absence from high-profile state broadcasts, including the annual Central Economic Work Conference in December and a recent Politburo study session, indicates a fall from grace for a man once considered a rising star with a background in China’s prestigious space and industrial sectors.