China expels Former Politburo member Ma Xingrui in anti-corruption crackdown

China's ruling Communist Party has expelled former Politburo member Ma Xingrui from the party and dismissed him from public office after an anti-corruption investigation found him guilty of serious disciplinary and legal violations.

Ma, who previously served as the Communist Party chief of Xinjiang and was a member of the powerful Politburo, is the third senior Politburo official to be removed during the current party term under President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign.

According to China's top anti-graft watchdog, Ma abused his position by accepting bribes, arranging official appointments for personal gain, shielding corrupt subordinates, and engaging in what authorities described as "family corruption." State media also accused him of betraying party principles and violating political discipline.

The case has been labelled "extremely serious," signalling the leadership's intent to pursue strict action against high-ranking officials accused of corruption.

Ma, an aerospace engineer by training, previously held senior positions in Guangdong, Shenzhen, and the China National Space Administration before leading Xinjiang. His expulsion is the latest in Xi Jinping's long-running anti-corruption drive, which has targeted senior party, military, and government officials as part of efforts to strengthen party discipline and central authority.