China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced on Friday that Politburo member Ma Xingrui is under investigation for "serious violations of party discipline and law," marking the third such probe of the ruling body's elite members since the current term began in 2022.

Ma, 66, served as Communist Party secretary in Xinjiang from 2021 until July 2025, when state media said he would take on a new role. He had been appointed deputy head of the Central Rural Work Leading Group but has been absent from public view since late October 2025, missing key events including a Politburo study session in November, the Central Economic Work Conference in December, the discipline commission's plenary in January, and the annual legislative meetings last month.

The aerospace engineer rose through the ranks at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., becoming its general manager from 2007 to 2013 while overseeing the manned space program and new carrier rockets. He then governed Shenzhen and Guangdong province before his Xinjiang posting, where he softened some of his predecessor's hardline security policies amid Western sanctions over detention camps.

This probe follows investigations into two top generals who were also Politburo members. He Weidong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was expelled from the party for corruption in October 2025, reducing the 24-member body to 23. Zhang Youxia, the other CMC vice chairman and a longtime Xi ally, faced a similar announcement in January 2026 for suspected serious violations. Ma's case now leaves the Politburo effectively at 21 members, its smallest size since 1999.

Analysts describe the developments as the widest purge of Politburo members in a single term since the Cultural Revolution era, when the Gang of Four faction was targeted, exceeding even the 1989 Tiananmen Square aftermath. The actions form part of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive launched in 2012, which disciplined 983,000 officials last year, a 10.6% increase from 2024, including a record 65 high-ranking figures.

Recent cases linked to Ma include his protege Guo Yonghang, Guangzhou party secretary probed last week, and subordinates from his aerospace and Xinjiang days. Ties to Guangdong copper magnate Wang Wenyin, whose business faltered amid the property crisis, have also surfaced.

The military has borne the brunt of the campaign, with over 100 senior officers removed since 2022, leaving voids at the top of the Central Military Commission. Broader purges have ousted nine military lawmakers in February and disrupted sessions of the National People's Congress. As the 21st Party Congress approaches in 2027, the moves signal Xi's determination to root out disloyalty and install trusted allies, even as they raise questions about leadership stability and readiness amid regional tensions.