A vast reorganization at the top of the state in Beijing. This Tuesday, October 24, China dismissed its Minister of Defense and ousted from the government its former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was relieved of his duties in July but who still held the higher title of State Councilor.
Li Shangfu, in office since March, was “removed” from his position at the Defense Ministry, state television CCTV reported, citing a decision by the standing committee of the National People’s Congress.
The channel gave no reason for the dismissal and did not put forward any name for his successor. His last public appearance was on August 29. Li Shangfu had visited Russia and Belarus a few weeks earlier, in mid-August.
In September, the American ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, declared on social networks that the minister had “not been seen or heard from in three weeks”. The American government understands that the Chinese Minister of Defense is the subject of an investigation by the authorities and that he has been removed from his functions, wrote for its part the british business daily Financial Times, citing three American officials. Questioned by AFP, a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, who speaks daily to the press, said she was “not aware” of the situation mentioned.
Reshuffle at the head of the Chinese army unit
This dismissal of the Minister of Defense comes after a reshuffle at the head of the Chinese army unit in charge of strategic missiles, particularly nuclear ones. In July, China announced that it would provide this unit with new management without justifying this change, while the media reported a corruption investigation involving its former head, who had not been seen in public for weeks.
China also formalized on Tuesday the “dismissal” of its former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Qin Gang, considered close to President Xi Jinping, is no longer part of the State Council, the equivalent of the Chinese government, CCTV said. After an unexplained absence of a month, the now former Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs was relieved of his duties in July, a surprise decision for which the authorities gave no justification.
His absence at the beginning of the summer had generated numerous rumors on social networks, including that of an adulterous affair with a presenter from a Hong Kong television channel, met when he was ambassador to the United States (2021- 2022).
He has since been replaced in this position by his predecessor Wang Yi, who is currently the real boss of Chinese diplomacy, as the highest official of diplomatic relations within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
On Tuesday, China also announced the departure of its Minister of Science and Technology, Wang Zhigang, as well as the Minister of Finance, Liu Kun. They are replaced respectively by Yin Hejun, until then secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the Ministry of Science and Technology, and his counterpart at the Ministry of Finance, Lan Fo’an.