China expels 33 Communist Party officials in major purge

China's Communist Party removed 33 senior officials at the end of a major party meeting in Beijing on Thursday. This is the highest number ever expelled at a single meeting of this kind.

Xi Jinping has now removed 51 officials during his current term as leader. That is far more than in his two previous terms combined.

Among those expelled was Liu Jianchao, a well-known former diplomat who had not appeared in public since July last year. A senior aide to Xi, Zhong Shaojun, was also removed after more than ten years in a top military role.