NEW DELHI: China on Friday named Dong Jun as its new defence minister after months of uncertainty following sacking of his predecessor Li Shangfu in October.
Li’s removal from his role, which came after a seven-month tenure following a prolonged absence from public sight, has not been officially explained by Beijing.
Dong was appointed at a meeting of the standing committee of China’s National People’s Congress, state news agency Xinhua said.
Li Shangfu was the second minister to be abruptly removed since President Xi Jinping began his unprecedented third term last October. Qin Gang was replaced as foreign minister in July by his predecessor Wang Yi, after a similar unexplained withdrawal from public engagements.
The reason for Qin’s removal is still not officially known. Li’s removal comes just days ahead of a regional security forum, which was expected to pave the way for long-stalled high-level military dialogue between US and China.
Xi Jinping’s tenure has been marked by a focus on combating alleged corruption, leading to the removal and disappearance of several high-ranking officials.
In the recent months, there has been a restructuring in the leadership of China’s secretive Rocket Force, responsible for overseeing the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
This shuffle followed reports in the media about a corruption investigation involving the former chief. Just this month, Hu Zhongming took over as the head of the navy, succeeding Dong.
(With agency inputs)
Li’s removal from his role, which came after a seven-month tenure following a prolonged absence from public sight, has not been officially explained by Beijing.
Dong was appointed at a meeting of the standing committee of China’s National People’s Congress, state news agency Xinhua said.
Li Shangfu was the second minister to be abruptly removed since President Xi Jinping began his unprecedented third term last October. Qin Gang was replaced as foreign minister in July by his predecessor Wang Yi, after a similar unexplained withdrawal from public engagements.
The reason for Qin’s removal is still not officially known. Li’s removal comes just days ahead of a regional security forum, which was expected to pave the way for long-stalled high-level military dialogue between US and China.
Xi Jinping’s tenure has been marked by a focus on combating alleged corruption, leading to the removal and disappearance of several high-ranking officials.
In the recent months, there has been a restructuring in the leadership of China’s secretive Rocket Force, responsible for overseeing the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
This shuffle followed reports in the media about a corruption investigation involving the former chief. Just this month, Hu Zhongming took over as the head of the navy, succeeding Dong.
(With agency inputs)