By Salma El-Sakka
Chinese state media reported Thursday that former Politburo member Ma Xingrui has been formally charged with accepting bribes, a week after the Communist Party confirmed his expulsion.
Charges and investigation
Prosecutors in Yichang, Hubei province, accused Ma of using his leadership positions to accept “exceptionally large” bribes and secure benefits for others, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Ma was named to the Politburo in 2022. His downfall became public in April when authorities announced an investigation for severe violations of party discipline and national laws.
Anti-corruption campaign
He is the latest senior official to fall in President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which was reinforced at last week’s Central Committee fifth plenum. Leaders adopted a resolution on strengthening discipline and ratified the expulsions of more than 30 senior officials, including Ma and a former top general.
The Politburo had 24 members before three were recently purged — Ma and two military generals. Analysts say the campaign enforces loyalty to Xi as well as rooting out corruption.
Ma served as Communist Party chief of Xinjiang until 2025 and previously as governor of Guangdong province. An engineer by training, he worked in the aerospace industry before entering local government.
