China’s Communist Party disciplinary committee announced Friday that it has launched an investigation into Ma Xingrui, the former party secretary of Xinjiang region, for suspected violations of party discipline and legal statutes.
Ma, who holds membership in the party’s Central Committee, led the northwestern Xinjiang region from 2021 through 2025. His previous roles included heading the National Ethnic Affairs Commission and serving as deputy party leader in Guangdong province.
The specific nature of Ma’s alleged misconduct remains undisclosed. His case adds to a growing list of high-ranking officials who have been stripped of their positions this year, including the country’s top military commander whom Xi Jinping dismissed in January.
Chen Xiaojiang succeeded Ma as Xinjiang’s party chief last July. The region had gained international attention due to an extensive campaign involving mass detentions without legal proceedings.
Chinese authorities had held an estimated one million or more members of minority groups, particularly ethnic Uyghur Muslims, claiming the measures were necessary following attacks carried out by a small faction of Uyghur extremists.
When Ma assumed leadership in 2021, Beijing reported that most detention facilities had been closed. However, several camp locations were transformed into prison-style facilities, and leaked documents obtained by the Associated Press revealed that thousands of Uyghurs received lengthy prison terms on charges that analysts described as fabricated.
This past March, China enacted legislation that analysts say solidifies the government’s policy of cultural assimilation targeting ethnic minority populations, expanding upon years of policy shifts implemented at the provincial level in Xinjiang and other regions.
