It was only a short message, but it left no doubt: Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has disappeared from the public for two months, has now been officially dismissed. There will be no return. Beijing did not name a successor to Li, the fourth-highest military leader in the country, on Tuesday. In a few days, China expects numerous foreign defense politicians to attend the so-called Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
It was only in June that China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang disappeared and was replaced as Foreign Minister four weeks later by his predecessor Wang Yi without any further explanation. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress approved the removal of both for the posts of state councilors on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Qin Gang initially retained this position after his dismissal as foreign minister.
The government gave no reasons for the layoffs on Tuesday. Both politicians were only appointed to their positions as foreign and defense ministers in March. It is still unclear where Qin Gang and Li Shangfu are.
The US government believes that Li was being investigated for corruption
After the ministers disappeared, Beijing initially spoke of health reasons in both cases and later declined to provide further explanations. In the case of Qin Gang, the Foreign Ministry temporarily deleted all references to Qin’s person from its website, only to later put parts of it back online.
The inexplicable removal of two important ministers raises questions about the stability of the Chinese government under the leadership of Xi Jinping. Until their disappearance, both men were considered loyal confidants of the head of state and party leader, which reinforces the impression of increasing unpredictability. At the same time, the incident shows how little is known about politics within the inner circle of the Chinese government.
According to media reports, the US government believes that Li Shangfu is being investigated on suspicion of corruption in connection with the procurement and development of equipment. For months there have been indications of allegations of corruption within the top leadership of the Chinese military. The previous head of the missile force was dismissed in the summer and had not appeared in public for weeks. His two deputies have also been missing since then.
Related to Qin Gang reported the Financial Times in September about an extramarital affair with a Chinese TV presenter and a possible child together. During internal party purges, cadres in China repeatedly disappear, sometimes for months or years, only to be brought before court on suspicion of corruption or other allegations.
In addition to the dismissal of the two state councilors, a new appointment also took place on Tuesday. Lan Fo’an, 61, has been named finance minister, state media said. The politician became head of the Communist Party in the Finance Ministry just last month. He succeeds Liu Kun, who has served as department head since 2018 and has reached the age limit.