Hong Kong, Oct. 21 -- Confirmation came from the Chinese authorities on October 17 that nine prominent members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had been expelled from the all-powerful party that controls every aspect of life in modern China. The announcement came just days before the Central Committee's Fourth Plenum began on October 20.

If rumors prior to the four-day conclave are correct, then only 168 of 205 members (82%) of the Central Committee and 159 of 171 (93%) alternates are present at the Fourth Plenum. Even worse, perhaps just 17 of 44 (39%) PLA members are there. If these estimates are correct, this would underscore how severe Xi's purge of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been in recent months.

The highest-rankin...