Xi Jinping wields axe again senior officials purged ahead of his th term. China's Communist Party expelled 33 senior officials as Xi Jinping elevated a key military ally. With senior military commanders among those expelled, the latest crackdown has reinforced Xi's drive. A key meeting of China’s ruling Communist Party on Thursday confirmed the expulsion of 33 senior officials, reinforcing President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive ahead of next year’s party.