Current:Home > StocksChina replaces defense minister, out of public view for 2 months, with little explanation -Wealth Pursuit Network
China replaces defense minister, out of public view for 2 months, with little explanation
View
Date:2025-04-16 12:36:39
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! (2721)
Related
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Minnesota and the District of Columbia Allege Climate Change Deception by Big Oil
- A Chick-fil-A location is fined for giving workers meals instead of money
- Lily-Rose Depp Reaches New Milestone With Love of My Life 070 Shake
- Sam Taylor
- Binance was once FTX's rival and possible savior. Now it's trying not to be its sequel
- Louisville’s ‘Black Lives Matter’ Demonstrations Continue a Long Quest for Environmental Justice
- Shell’s Plastics Plant Outside Pittsburgh Has Suddenly Become a Riskier Bet, a Study Concludes
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Passenger says he made bomb threat on flight to escape cartel members waiting to torture and kill him in Seattle, documents say
Ranking
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- In a year marked by inflation, 'buy now, pay later' is the hottest holiday trend
- Southern Charm Star Taylor Ann Green's Brother Worth Dead at 36
- Cities Pressure TVA to Boost Renewable Energy as Memphis Weighs Breaking Away
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Rudy Giuliani should be disbarred for false election fraud claims, D.C. review panel says
- A $1.6 billion lawsuit alleges Facebook's inaction fueled violence in Ethiopia
- Ohio’s Nuclear Bailout Plan Balloons to Embrace Coal (while Killing Renewable Energy Rules)
Recommendation
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
RHONJ: Teresa Giudice and Joe Gorga Share Final Words Before Vowing to Never Speak Again
Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor Make Rare Red Carpet Appearance With 21-Year-Old Daughter Ella
Musk asks in poll if he should step down as Twitter CEO; users vote yes
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Virginia joins several other states in banning TikTok on government devices
Dad who survived 9/11 dies after jumping into Lake Michigan to help child who fell off raft
Passenger says he made bomb threat on flight to escape cartel members waiting to torture and kill him in Seattle, documents say