Military: China removes defense minister who has not been seen for a long time

China has deposed Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has long disappeared from the public eye. Li was removed from both his post as defense minister and his position in China’s State Council, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing a decision by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Li Shangfu had not appeared in public since August 29, when he delivered a speech at a China-Africa peace forum. A few weeks later, several Western media outlets speculated about the reasons for his disappearance. Citing US government sources, there was talk of an ongoing investigation against Li Shangfu. The party has taken stricter measures in the army since the summer and replaced high-ranking military officials on suspicion of corruption.

The United States placed Li on a sanctions list in 2018

According to official information, Li Shangfu joined the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 1982. The qualified engineer holds the rank of general. In mid-March of this year, he was promoted to Defense Minister – a decision that was not entirely without international controversy. The US put Li on its sanctions list in 2018 because he was head of the procurement agency responsible for purchasing Russian fighter jets. Since then, exchanges between the defense ministers of both sides have hardly been possible.

At the end of July, Beijing had already removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang and reinstated his predecessor, Wang Yi. Qin Gang had also not been seen in public for weeks and was represented at international events. The reasons for his removal remain unclear. As CCTV reported on Tuesday, he has now also lost his position as State Councilor.

In China, high-ranking officials continue to disappear from public view. A little later it often becomes known that, for example, the disciplinary commission is investigating them.