Vanishing Elites: Disappearances and Purges in Xi Jinping’s China

Since assuming leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2012, Xi Jinping has overseen the most sweeping anti-corruption campaign in modern Chinese history. Officially framed as a drive to eliminate graft and restore Party discipline, the campaign has reached deep into the upper echelons of political, military, financial, technological, and cultural life.

But beyond court verdicts and expulsion notices lies a recurring pattern: sudden disappearances.

Senior ministers vanish from diplomatic calendars. Generals stop appearing at military ceremonies. Billionaire executives become “unreachable.” Celebrities are erased from streaming platforms. In most cases, official Chinese media later confirm investigations for “serious violations of discipline and law,” without detailed evidence. In others, there is no formal explanation at all.

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