In a move that would make even the most hardened Kremlinologist do a double-take, China has expelled Ma Xingrui, a top Communist Party official, making him the third Politburo member to be purged since 2022. Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign, it seems, has no off-limits zones - not even the inner sanctum of power.

Ma, the former party secretary of Xinjiang, stands accused of corruption, abuse of power, and trading political favors for sex - a trifecta of bad behavior that even the party's discipline commission found 'extremely serious.' He was placed under investigation in April and has since vanished from public view, presumably to ponder his choices in a location with limited amenities.

What's particularly eyebrow-raising is that Ma is the first civilian Politburo member to be purged in this wave; his predecessors, Zhang Youxia and He Weidong, were both military officials. As Joseph Torigian of American University notes, such a purge of a civilian hasn't been seen since the Gang of Four in 1976 - a reference that surely makes the current leadership nostalgic.

Torigian suggests Xi's message is clear: 'Even politburo members, no matter who you are, can be touched by this kind of crackdown.' So, if you're a high-ranking official, you might want to reconsider that second vacation home.

Christopher Nye of the Jamestown Foundation observes that the official announcement lacked the usual politically charged language like 'two-faced person' or 'disloyalty,' yet Ma was still kicked to the curb. This suggests Xi's tolerance has shrunk: previously, you had to be seen as opposing Xi to get the boot; now, mere corruption allegations suffice. It's a tough crowd.

The announcement ties Ma's misconduct to the period after the 18th Party Congress in 2012 - i.e., Xi's era. Before that, it seems, corruption was just a hobby; now it's a career-ender.

Ma, 67, was once a rising star - an aerospace engineer turned 'young marshal of the aerospace industry,' no less. He oversaw satellite launches and lunar exploration projects before transitioning to politics. He served in Guangdong, a province tied to Xi's father's legacy, and later in Xinjiang, where he oversaw the much-criticized 're-education' camps. His hardline stance in Xinjiang apparently demonstrated his loyalty - but not enough to save him.

The purge may not stop with Ma. Several of his former subordinates are also under scrutiny, including Zhang Jianhua and Guo Yonghang, both of whom have been expelled from the party. So, if you've ever worked with Ma, you might want to update your résumé - just in case.