Ma Xingrui, a former Communist Party secretary of Xinjiang and member of the Politburo, has been expelled over corruption and a sex scandal as the country continues its anti-graft campaign.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced on Monday that Mr Ma had been dismissed from his public office and expelled from the party following an investigation into alleged violations of the party’s regulations and state laws, which began in April.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission found that the politician had accepted bribes and used his position and influence to secure benefits for others in exchange for money, while protecting his subordinates and helping them obtain promotions and contracts. 

The CCDI said in a statement that “Ma Xingrui seriously violated Party discipline and laws, constituting serious duty-related violations and was suspected of the crime of bribery. The case is particularly serious with an extremely negative impact.”

Authorities also accused him of engaging in “power-for-money” and “power-for-sex” transactions, although no further details of the allegations were disclosed. 

The 66-year-old was a scientist and aerospace engineer before entering politics. 

He served as governor of Guangdong Province before being appointed as the Communist Party secretary of the northwestern Xinjiang between 2021 and 2025.

Financial crimes under President Xi Jinping’s administration have been addressed through the anti-graft campaign, which has curbed corruption among government officials and state-owned enterprises.

In severe cases, the government has imposed death penalties, while others have resulted in life imprisonment.