On April 3rd, Ma Xingrui, a member of the Central Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party, was reported to have fallen from power, causing speculation among overseas observers. It was noted that unlike previous reports of Politburo members falling from power, the announcement regarding Ma Xingrui lacked the address of “comrade” and did not mention the “central decision”, which raised eyebrows. Some analysts suggest that the deep-rooted secrets of Ma Xingrui’s case have left Xi Jinping in a state of panic and anger.
According to the official news from Xinhua News Agency on April 3rd, Ma Xingrui, a member of the Central Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party and the deputy leader of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, is currently under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law”.
Ma Xingrui stepped down as the Secretary of Xinjiang in July last year, claiming to have “another appointment”, but his new position was not publicly disclosed until this report, revealing that he had been reassigned as the deputy leader of the Central Rural Work Leading Group.
Ma Xingrui had disappeared after the Fourth Plenum last year, and rumors of his downfall had been circulating ever since. The official confirmation of his downfall sparked discussions overseas, with comments such as, “The hammer has fallen,” and “The fewer the words, the greater the significance. Will Peng Liyuan’s Shandong group be able to continue?”.
An account named “Cloud Blue Sky” posted a screenshot of the official reports of the downfall of Bo Xilai and Sun Zhengcai, who were also former members of the Political Bureau, noting the stark contrast in the announcement regarding Ma Xingrui with the omission of “comrade” and “central decision”. This difference raised questions about the underlying reasons behind Ma Xingrui’s downfall.
In a statement to the Epoch Times, independent commentator Cai Shenkun pointed out that the exclusion of even the word “comrade” in the report concerning Ma Xingrui is not just a simple change in wording in the Chinese Communist Party’s discourse, but rather signifies a certain political pre-determination.
Publicly available reports show that on October 17, 2025, Political Bureau member and Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission He Weidong, along with nine others, were reported to have fallen from grace. The announcement was made by the Ministry of National Defense of the Chinese Communist Party, mentioning approval from the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, without the use of “comrade”.
On January 24, in the announcement concerning the investigation of Zhang Youxia, member of the Central Military Commission and Deputy Chairman, and Liu Zhenli, staff head of the general staff of the Central Military Commission, issued by the Ministry of National Defense of the Chinese Communist Party, it was mentioned that it was studied by the Party Central Committee, but again, the term “comrade” was absent.
Commenting on the issue, Li Linyi believes that the exclusion of the term “comrade” carries negative connotations, akin to an early dismissal. While previous reports of Politburo members falling from grace had mentioned central research, approval, or decisions, Ma Xingrui’s case did not, indicating that there may be more to his downfall than meets the eye.
Li Linyi added that compared to the cases of Bo Xilai and Sun Zhengcai, which occurred during the eras of Hu Jintao and the early tenure of Xi Jinping, respectively, the current lack of adherence to established rules in dealing with fallen officials reflects Xi Jinping’s increasingly authoritarian rule and the growing lack of boundaries in internal struggles. This shift in official rhetoric no longer follows established norms, showcasing the mafia-like nature inherent within the Chinese Communist Party, with Xi Jinping’s current actions aligning more with those characteristics.
Some internet users commented, “Guangdong and Xinjiang didn’t hold immediate meetings, which is quite strange.”, suggesting that the importance of Political Bureau members may be diminishing.
The details of Ma Xingrui’s case continue to attract attention.
Australian-anti-communist self-media figure Jiang Wangzheng revealed on July 7 last year that Ma Xingrui’s wife, Rong Li, was taken away for investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on July 5, 2025. During Ma Xingrui’s tenures as Deputy Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee, Governor of Guangdong Province, and Xinjiang Secretary, Rong Li, using the name of her close friend Peng Liyuan, engaged in widespread corruption. “Rong Li transferred over 7 billion RMB to her daughter and son-in-law’s family accounts in Canada through Hong Kong, as well as to the family office accounts in Singapore.”
Cai Shenkun told the Epoch Times that the true danger of the Ma Xingrui case lies not only in the corruption itself but also in the network of corruption and private interests that Mrs. Ma engaged in. Rong Li did something extremely unusual: she gifted insurance policies in Hong Kong and other cities to the wives and children of numerous leaders, ranging from millions to tens of millions. The extent and number of these activities are almost hair-raising. The Ma Xingrui couple thus weaved a secretive and intricate political network.
Cai Shenkun stated that what keeps Xi Jinping awake at night regarding the Ma Xingrui case is this network of party-nepotism and the threat it poses to his power base. The delayed disclosure of the Ma case until now suggests that as the case is dug deeper, it may unveil secrets that will further exacerbate Xi Jinping’s fears and anger.
However, these revelations regarding the corruption of Ma Xingrui and his wife have not been confirmed at this time.
Taiwanese experts Su Ziyun and Shen Mingshi both told the Epoch Times that Ma Xingrui was promoted by Peng Liyuan, leading Xi Jinping to be forced to deal with him, thus the delay in action.
Self-media figure “New Highland” stated in a post yesterday that as a prominent figure in the Shandong faction, Peng Liyuan has long been a supportive role, and the main obstacle in the delayed announcement of the Ma case is Peng Liyuan. It is reported that Peng hoped Xi Jinping would handle the Ma case with a “cool hand”, giving Ma Xingrui a soft landing. This demand is not only to placate the Shandong faction but also to maintain Peng’s dignity. However, Xi Jinping ultimately rejected Peng’s compromise proposal and decided to re-investigate Ma Xingrui. As the Shandong clique continues to grow in power, it inevitably threatens the “core of Xi”. Therefore, the Ma case has directly collided with the power distribution among Xi and Peng at the top levels.
“New Highland” believes that it is worth observing whether other members of the Shandong faction, like Li Ganjie, will be affected, adding more uncertainty to the personnel games leading up to the 21st National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.