China, Following Diplomatic Purge, Defense Minister 'Dismissed Without Explanation'... What Is the Background?

China has abruptly dismissed Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who was placed on the U.S. sanctions list for purchasing Russian weapons.

According to China Central Television (CCTV) on the 24th, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) held its 6th meeting from the 20th to the 24th and announced that Li Shangfu was removed from all his positions as Defense Minister, State Councilor, and member of the Central Military Commission. However, the reasons for his dismissal or the appointment of a successor were not mentioned.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Li Shangfu had disappeared from official appearances for over three months after attending the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum on August 29, sparking rumors of his fall from grace. Earlier, former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was dismissed from the Foreign Minister position but retained his State Councilor post, was also dismissed on the same day. The authorities only cited "lifestyle issues" as the reason for Qin's dismissal, without providing specific details.

Tsai Ming-yen, head of Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB), recently testified before the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and National Defense Committee that Li Shangfu was involved in disciplinary violations and corruption. The allegations reportedly emerged during an anti-corruption investigation targeting the Rocket Force, which is responsible for strategic missiles and aerospace power within the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

At the end of July, the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission received reports of procurement-related corruption and crimes occurring since October 2017, leading to the arrest of many senior officials. Li Shangfu's disappearance coincided with this period. Despite being sanctioned by the U.S. for illegally purchasing 10 Su-35 fighter jets and the S-400 air defense missile system from Russia in 2018 while serving as head of the Equipment Development Department, Li gained the trust of Chinese President Xi Jinping and was appointed Defense Minister in March, attracting significant attention.

Regarding Li Shangfu's dismissal, some analysts suggest it may be an effort to remove military conflict factors with the U.S. China had been demanding the lifting of sanctions on Li as a condition for resuming military talks with the U.S. Bloomberg News predicted, "With Li Shangfu's dismissal, high-level military talks between the U.S. and China, which have been suspended for over a year, could resume."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.