China's Communist Party removes ex-foreign, defence ministers from top body

• Chinese President Xi Jinping has spearheaded a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign since becoming leader of the Communist Party in 2012.
• In the first half of this year alone, the party's top graft watchdog has investigated 36 officials at the vice-ministerial level and above.

China's Communist Party removed its former foreign and defence ministers, Qin Gang and Li Shangfu, from its Central Committee on Thursday during a meeting of its largest top decision-making body, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The two officials had been removed from their jobs last year.

The ruling Communist Party ended its long-delayed third plenum on Thursday, a meeting of the 205-member Central Committee held roughly once every five years to map out the general direction of the country's long-term social and economic policies. Removals of Central Committee members would also be approved at such meetings.

The Central Committee said in a communique released by Xinhua that it accepted Qin Gang's resignation from the body, and confirmed the expulsion of Li Shangfu, 66, as well as former PLA Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao, 61, from the Communist Party for "serious violations of discipline and law", a euphemism for corruption. Li Yuchao was also removed from his job last year.

The decision to expel Li Shangfu and Li Yuchao from the Communist Party and its Central Committee by extension suggests harsher political consequences for the pair, compared to Qin Gang's resignation. Qin remains a Communist Party member.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has spearheaded a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign since becoming leader of the Communist Party in 2012. In the first half of this year alone, the party's top graft watchdog has investigated 36