Beijing | Oct. 29, 2026, 1:53 p.m. ET | 3 min read

The empty chairs say it all.

As the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee – its top leadership body – convened its annual plenum this week in Beijing, only 279 of the 376 members installed four years ago attended. Dozens have been expelled, have been placed under investigation, or have disappeared from public view, according to a report by the Asia Society Policy Institute, based in Washington, D.C.

The hollowed ranks reflect a sweeping purge of top military and civilian officials by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Mr. Xi calls it “self-revolution” – the ongoing requirement for the party to oust officials deemed corrupt, profligate, or lacking in ideological zeal.

Mr.…