China’s cabinet reshuffle recently came as part of a major shake-up in top leadership. Last October, China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu was removed from office. Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang was recently dropped from the cabinet.
The country has appointed a new defense minister after the post of defense minister was vacant for several months. Dong Jun, the former head of the navy, was appointed to the post. The final decision to appoint Dong Jun to this position was made after the meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China. According to the report of the country’s state news agency on Friday, China has recently promoted several officers of the military and reshuffled some positions. Earlier this month, Hu Zhongming replaced Dong Jun as navy chief.
Last July, Qin Gang was removed from his position as foreign minister without explanation. Then in September came the news that Defense Minister Li Shangfu had gone into hiding. It was later learned that Chinese Defense Minister Li Sangfu, who had disappeared from public view for three weeks, had been ‘arrested’. From 2017 to 2022, he was under investigation for alleged corruption in the procurement of military and munitions. Along with him, eight other military officers are also being investigated by the Chinese Military Investigation Commission. The country’s 10 senior military officials confirmed the matter.
US media The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing a senior Chinese official, that Li was taken in for questioning last September. Li was the head of the Chinese military’s military equipment procurement unit from 2017 to 2022, officials said. At that time there were allegations of corruption.
Lee became the defense minister last March. A few months after taking office, he was investigated for corruption. And this is being investigated by the influential Disciplinary Inspection Commission of the country’s armed forces.
