Xi Jinping doubles down on purge of party elite

The Party said it had expelled 33 officials from its senior ranks and elevated the former head of the military’s anti-corruption body to its Politburo. China’s leadership doubled down on an anti-corruption drive that analysts say has variously sought to purge the top echelons of the Communist Party over graft and consolidate Xi Jinping’s power. The Party said it had expelled 33 officials from its senior ranks and elevated the former head of the military’s anti-corruption body to its Politburo, following a meeting of its Central Committee. The timing of the moves — the latest in a more than decade-long crackdown that “has become a ceaseless wave of purges aimed at keeping officials loyal and on their toes,” The Wall Street Journal said — is key: A high-profile meeting next year is expected to confirm Xi to a new five-year term.