Politburo member Ma Xingrui under investigation
It’s official – Politburo Ma Xingrui is in trouble.
On April 3, state media announced that Ma is “suspected of serious violations of discipline and law and currently under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation.”
- In other words, Ma is toast.
This did not come out of the blue:
- Ma was unexpectedly removed as Xinjiang Party Secretary in July 2025 – and tellingly was not appointed to another position at the time.
- Ma hasn’t been seen in public since October – a clear sign that something was afoot.
Ma is the third Politburo member to be put under investigation since the October 2022 20th Party Congress, along with Generals Zhang Youxia and He Weidong.
It’s not clear what got Ma in trouble.
- He has deep ties with China’s aerospace sector, which has gotten caught up in the sweeping anti-corruption campaign wracking the defense-industrial complex.
- But associates from his time in Guangdong and Xinjiang have also recently fallen afoul of authorities, indicating that his conduct in either (or both) region may also have gotten him in trouble.
Get smart: The fact that so many senior officials continue to fall foul of the disciplinary authorities shows that Xi’s 13-year (!) anti-corruption campaign has not worked.
Get smarter: That so many unsuitable officials keep rising to high office also indicates that the Party’s personnel system is not functioning properly.