In a significant development, China has removed Defence Minister General Li Shangfu from his position. General Li had been absent from public view since August, and his removal marks the second leadership shake-up within three months in China.
The Chinese authorities have not yet announced a successor for General Li, who had risen through the ranks of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to assume the role of defence minister in March.
The details of General Li’s removal were reported by the South China Morning Post, citing China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. However, no specific reasons or explanations were provided.
Rumors and speculation had been circulating for weeks regarding the fate of General Li, especially given his absence from public appearances since the end of August.
According to reports, General Li had been under investigation as part of a broader probe into the procurement of military equipment. This investigation came to light in September, as reported by Reuters.
It is important to note that, in the Chinese system, not all ministers are members of the state council. However, both General Li and Qin held the position of state councillor, which is a senior role within China’s State Council, the country’s cabinet.
General Li, aged 65, was also a member of the Central Military Commission, which is the PLA’s ruling body. Over the course of his career in the PLA, he had overseen various crucial projects and held the distinction of being the first member from the Strategic Support Force (SSF) to be part of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC).
The SSF was established in 2015 as part of a restructuring effort within military management, focusing on areas such as space, cyber, political, and electronic warfare.
General Li’s ranking within the CMC placed him directly below its chairman, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Vice-chairmen Zhang Youxia and He Weidong.
General Li’s last public appearance was at the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing on August 29, where he delivered the keynote address. However, he was notably absent from delegation-level talks with Vietnam in early September and was not present at a significant Chinese military meeting. His name was also conspicuously absent from a report on the said meeting in mid-September.
In the context of his diplomatic engagements, General Li had visited India in April and held delegation-level discussions with Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh.
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