Military delegates arrive for the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2025. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Fourth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee concluded in Beijing on Oct. 23, with its closing communiqué offering a glimpse into power struggles within the party’s top ranks.
One of the most striking signs was the quiet sidelining of seven alternate Central Committee members who were passed over for promotion—a rare move in party protocol that may signal their political downfall. The omissions, which include some of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s longtime allies from the military and his home province of Shaanxi, point to intensifying internal conflict under Xi’s banner of “anti-corruption.”
Expulsions, Promotions, and Missing in Action
According to a communiqué released by the CCP’s state-run Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, the CCP expelled 14 Central Committee members from the party, including senior military and provincial officials. Those removed include Central Committee members He Weidong, Miao Hua, Tang Renjian, Jin Xiangjun, He Hongjun, Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, Qin Shutong, Yuan Huazhi, and Wang Chunning, as well as four alternates—Li Shisong, Yang Fasen, Zhu Zhisong, and Zhang Fengzhong.
