Current:Home > MyChina replaces defense minister, out of public view for 2 months, with little explanation-InfoLens
China replaces defense minister, out of public view for 2 months, with little explanation
View Date:2024-12-23 14:41:17
China has replaced Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu, who has been out of public view for almost two months with little explanation, state media reported Tuesday.
Li is the second senior Chinese official to disappear this year, following former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was removed from office in July with no explanation offered.
Li, who became defense minister during a Cabinet reshuffle in March, hasn't been seen since giving a speech on Aug. 29. There is no indication that the disappearances of Qin and Li signal a change in China's foreign or defense policies, although they have raised questions about the resilience of president and ruling Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's circle of power.
Xi has a reputation for valuing loyalty above all and has relentlessly attacked corruption in public and private, sometimes in what has been seen as a method of eliminating political rivals and shoring up his political position amid a deteriorating economy and rising tensions with the U.S. over trade, technology and Taiwan.
Li is under U.S. sanctions related to his overseeing weapon purchases from Russia that bar him from entering the country. China has since cut off contacts with the U.S. military, mainly in protest over U.S. arm sales to Taiwan, but also strongly implying that Washington must lift the measures against Li, which Beijing refuses to publicly recognize.
The announcement from state broadcaster CCTV said that both Li and Qin had been removed from the State Council, China's Cabinet and the center of government power. That virtually assures the end of their political careers, although it remains unclear whether they will face prosecution or other legal sanctions.
China's political and legal systems remain highly opaque, fueling lively discussion of possible corruption, personal foibles or fallings-out with other powerful figures leading to the downfall of top officials.
- In:
- corruption
- Xi Jinping
- Politics
- China
veryGood! (28743)
Related
- Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
- Lawsuit: False arrest due to misuse of facial recognition technology
- Kentucky’s Democratic Governor Steers Clear of a Climate Agenda in His Bid to Fend Off a Mitch McConnell Protege
- Suspect in police beating has ruptured kidney, headaches; his attorneys call for a federal probe
- What is ‘Doge’? Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E.
- Nearly 2,000 reports of UFO sightings surface ranging from orbs, disks and fireballs
- Mississippi city’s chief of police to resign; final day on Monday
- Student activists are pushing back against big polluters — and winning
- Beyoncé course coming to Yale University to examine her legacy
- Lawsuit: False arrest due to misuse of facial recognition technology
Ranking
- Benny Blanco Reveals Selena Gomez's Rented Out Botanical Garden for Lavish Date Night
- Detroit-area mayor indicted on bribery charge alleging he took $50,000 to facilitate property sale
- More than 20 Indian soldiers missing after flash floods in northeastern Sikkim state
- iPhone 15 models have been overheating. Apple blames iOS17 bugs, plans software update.
- Joan says 'Yes!' to 'Golden Bachelorette' finale fantasy beach proposal. Who did she pick?
- Gov. Glenn Youngkin's PAC raises over $4 million in 48 hours from billionaire donors
- Two adopted children found locked in West Virginia barn with no water; adults charged with neglect
- FIFA set to approve letting Russian youth soccer national teams return to competition
Recommendation
-
How Saturday Night Live Reacted to Donald Trump’s Win Over Kamala Harris
-
Police identify suspect in Wichita woman's murder 34 years after her death
-
Student loan borrowers are facing nightmare customer service issues, prompting outcry from states
-
A Florida gator lost her complete upper jaw and likely would've died. Now, she's thriving with the name Jawlene
-
Sam LaPorta injury update: Lions TE injures shoulder, 'might miss' Week 11
-
Tracking the challenges facing Ukrainian grain, all the way from farm to table
-
Why oust McCarthy? What Matt Gaetz has said about his motivations to remove the speaker of the House
-
Liberty University failed to disclose crime data and warn of threats for years, report says