(Christopher Nye – The Jamestown Foundation) On July 14, the Party announced the expulsion of Politburo member Ma Xingrui and referred him for prosecution on bribery charges. Ma’s notice contains no specific political accusations. This is a departure from historical practice. Every other Politburo-level official felled under Xi Jinping has been charged with political crimes, such as disloyalty, factionalism, ambition, or undermining the Central Military Commission chairman responsibility system. The omission suggests removing a top official no longer requires a political narrative. Framing the case as ordinary corruption shields Xi from the embarrassment of purging his own appointees. Given that nearly all senior officials are vulnerable to accusations of economic corruption, the lower threshold that Ma’s case suggests turns ordinary graft into a weapon and raises the risk of intensified elite infighting before the 21st Party Congress. – No Political Charges as Ma Xingrui Expelled From Politburo – Jamestown
