Two Senior Chinese Communist Party Officials Absent from Key Political Meetings

At the opening of China's major annual political meetings, two senior Communist Party officials, Zhang Youxia and Ma Xingrui, were notably absent. Zhang, a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been under investigation since January, while Ma has not appeared publicly since October. These absences reflect ongoing anti-corruption purges affecting high-ranking officials, including previous Politburo members, signaling President Xi Jinping's continued efforts to consolidate power despite potential governance uncertainties.