In a perplexing turn of events, China has officially announced the removal of its Defence Minister, Li Shangfu, who has been conspicuously absent from the public eye since late August. This move adds to the intrigue surrounding the sudden and unexplained departures of high-ranking officials in the Chinese government.
State media reported that President Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree on Tuesday, relieving 65-year-old Li Shangfu of his duties as defence minister. Furthermore, Li lost his other political positions, including that of a state councilor and a member of the Central Military Commission.
This announcement follows the removal of Qin Gang, who served as China’s Foreign Minister, in July. Qin Gang was also stripped of his position as a state councilor. Notably, the role of state councilor holds more seniority within the Chinese cabinet than other ministerial positions.
The decision to remove both Li Shangfu and Qin Gang was approved by China’s top legislators, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. However, no specific reasons were provided to explain these high-profile removals, leaving observers and analysts puzzled.
Wang Yi, a seasoned diplomat, was introduced as Qin Gang’s replacement and took over as foreign minister in July. Yet, as of now, no successor has been named for Li Shangfu, who assumed the role of defence minister in March and was widely regarded as a loyalist to President Xi Jinping. His last public appearance was a speech delivered in Beijing on August 29.
It is worth noting that Li Shangfu had faced sanctions imposed by the United States in 2018 due to China’s purchases of weapons from Russia, including Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. Li had also resisted contact with the U.S. military, and the state-run Global Times reported that these sanctions had become an impediment to China-U.S. military exchanges.
While the removal of these two high-ranking officials does not appear to signal a shift in China’s foreign or defense policies, it has raised questions about the dynamics within President Xi’s inner circle. Xi Jinping is known for his emphasis on loyalty and has pledged to eliminate all forms of corruption in both public and private sectors, a policy that has sometimes been viewed as a means to eliminate political rivals and solidify his own political standing, especially in the face of economic challenges and rising tensions with the United States.
The circumstances surrounding the removal of Li and Qin remain shrouded in uncertainty, as China’s opaque political and legal systems make it challenging to ascertain the exact reasons for their departure. This has led to speculation about potential corruption issues or disagreements with influential figures within the Chinese government. In the past, officials who fell from grace in China have faced investigations and legal sanctions, further fueling speculation about what may lie ahead for Li and Qin.
This latest episode of high-level departures underscores the intricacies of Chinese politics and the often enigmatic nature of decision-making within the country’s leadership.