Chinese official faces bribery charges

Ma Xingrui, a former member of China's Politburo, was formally charged with bribery on Thursday. State media reported the news one week after Communist Party leaders confirmed his expulsion from the party.

Prosecutors in Yichang, a city in the central province of Hubei, filed the accusations. According to Xinhua state news agency, Ma used his leadership positions to accept exceptionally large bribes. They also accused him of securing benefits for others and accepting financial assets.

Ma was named to the Politburo in 2022. His downfall became public in April when authorities announced an investigation into severe violations of party discipline and national laws. At that time, officials did not provide specific details about the alleged misconduct.

Before joining the Politburo, Ma held high-ranking roles in the country's space and technology sectors. He served in leadership positions at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. He also acted as the party secretary for Shenzhen, a major technology hub. Prosecutors stated that he used the powers associated with these posts to commit crimes, though they did not explain the specific methods used.

Ma's case is part of a long-running anti-corruption campaign led by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The campaign was reinforced at a closed-door meeting of the Central Committee's fifth plenum last week. During that meeting, leaders adopted a resolution focused on strengthening discipline and combating corruption.

The same plenum ratified the expulsions of more than 30 senior officials from the party. This group included Ma and the army's top general, who held that position until early this year. The Politburo had 24 members before recent purges removed Ma and two other military generals from the body.

Prior to his current roles, Ma served as the Communist Party chief of the Xinjiang region until 2025. Before that, he was the governor of Guangdong province, a manufacturing region in China's south. In the Chinese system, the party leader holds a higher rank than the governor in a province or region.