A record number of chairs were empty when the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China gathered this week for the fifth major meeting of its current five-year term, writes The Guardian.
The meeting took place after a sweeping purge of committee members, including those in the military. When the meeting ended, Chinese state media confirmed that another record number of high-ranking officials - 33 - had been expelled.
China has punished nearly eight million people, including nearly a thousand high-ranking officials, since President Xi Jinping launched an anti-corruption campaign in 2012.
Analysts believe the campaign is also a way for Xi Jinping to eliminate potential rivals and consolidate his control over the party.
