Former Politburo member and Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, 67, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office after an anti-misconduct investigation, the state broadcaster reported on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

Ma became the third Politburo member to be investigated during the current term that began in 2022, a development not seen in decades. The Politburo reviewed and approved the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) report on Ma’s case on June 30, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The investigation found that Ma had “lost his ideals and beliefs,” abandoned his political conviction, betrayed the party’s principles and original mission, and seriously violated political discipline and rules. The CCDI accused him of improperly accepting gifts and money, assisting relatives in purchasing houses at low prices, and engaging in power-for-sex and money-for-sex transactions.

Ma was also found to have allowed his relatives to exploit his influence for substantial profits, fostering rampant misconduct within his family. The Xinhua statement said, “He distorted public power (entrusted to him) into a tool for personal gain, using his position to seek benefits for others in business operations, project contracting and job promotions.”

Additionally, the CCDI reported that Ma intervened in personnel decisions by seeking benefits for others in cadre selection and appointment and improperly arranging jobs for others, both personally and through relatives. He did not truthfully confess his misconduct during initial party inquiries, and his behavior persisted after the 18th Party Congress, when President Xi Jinping launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign and strict official conduct rules.

The CCDI described Ma’s conduct as “extremely serious in nature” and said he was an “extremely bad influence.”

Sources