China Moves to Prosecute Former Senior Official Ma Xingrui for Bribery

China has formally indicted former Politburo member Ma Xingrui on charges of accepting bribes, bringing the high-profile corruption investigation against the once-powerful official a step closer to trial.

The Supreme People’s Procuratorate announced on Thursday, November 5, that Ma had been charged with bribery after an investigation by the National Supervisory Commission. The case has been assigned to prosecutors in Yichang, in central China’s Hubei Province, who have filed it before the Yichang Intermediate People’s Court.

According to the indictment, Ma allegedly used the authority and influence of positions he held in government, the ruling Communist Party and the state-owned aerospace industry to secure benefits for others and illegally receive large sums of money and other assets.

The prosecution alleges that the benefits were obtained through positions Ma held at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, where he served as a deputy general manager and later general manager, as well as his political roles in Guangdong Province, Shenzhen and the national leadership.

Chinese authorities have not disclosed the precise amount of money or assets Ma is accused of receiving. The allegations have not yet been tested in court.

Ma’s indictment follows months of political and disciplinary action against him. The investigation became public in April 2026, when authorities announced that he was being investigated for suspected serious violations of party discipline and national laws.

In July, China’s disciplinary authorities announced that Ma had been expelled from the Communist Party and removed from public office. The findings published by the country’s anti-corruption watchdog accused him of abusing his official position to benefit business interests, associates and family members, as well as accepting gifts and bribes.

His expulsion was subsequently confirmed at a Communist Party leadership meeting in October, when 33 officials were listed as having been removed from the party.

Ma, who joined the 24-member Politburo in 2022, previously held senior positions in China’s aerospace sector before moving into government. He served as party secretary of Shenzhen, governor of Guangdong Province and Communist Party chief of the Xinjiang region, a position he held until 2025.

His career placed him at the centre of several strategically important areas of Chinese policy, including the country’s space programme, technology industry, manufacturing sector and administration of the politically sensitive Xinjiang region.

The case forms part of President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted senior civilian officials, military commanders and executives of state-owned companies. The latest expulsions have also included former senior military figures, diplomats and a former industry minister.

The Communist Party says its campaign is intended to enforce discipline, combat corruption and strengthen accountability among public officials. However, analysts have also argued that investigations involving senior figures can reinforce political loyalty to Xi and consolidate his authority.

Ma’s case is particularly notable because he is one of the few members of the current Politburo to have been removed amid a corruption investigation. The removal of senior figures from the party’s top decision-making body has drawn attention to the scale of the ongoing purge within China’s political and military establishment.

There was no immediate public response from Ma to the indictment. Reuters reported that it had not received an immediate response to requests for comment from him following the announcement.

The court proceedings will determine the outcome of the criminal case, as prosecutors seek to establish the allegations against the former senior official.