China names new defence minister to replace ousted Li Shangfu
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China has named a new defence minister, two months after Li Shangfu was removed from the post with no explanation. General Dong Jun, the commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, was named as the new minister. Li’s ousting was confirmed at the National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting in October. He had disappeared from the public eye in late August and no reasons have been given for his removal. Li, was the first Chinese defence minister to be placed on a US sanctions list – because of arms sales from Russia – and was the second government minister abruptly removed from his post this year. US defence secretary to meet Chinese counterpart ‘when that person is named’ The foreign minister Qin Gang has also disappeared from view and was replaced by his predecessor Wang Yi in July. Both Li and Qin were also removed from their posts as state councillors – a senior cabinet position with a higher ranking than regular ministers – in the October meeting. Dong, whose age is not known, has served in all major naval divisions in the PLA. Before becoming the navy’s top commander in 2021, he served in the Northern Sea Fleet, now a regular player in joint drills with the Russian navy; the Eastern Sea Fleet, which focuses on potential conflicts with Japan, as well as the Southern Command Theatre, which oversees the South China Sea. China’s navy has in recent years played an important role as the PLA expands its diplomatic reach, with more port calls arranged. The defence minister’s job is not comparable with the role in other countries, and the holder has less direct authority and instead acts rarely as the military’s public representative. Command power falls under the Central Military Commission (CMC), chaired by President Xi Jinping. The appointment may further facilitate high level military-to-military communication between the US and China, whose defence ministers have not talked since November last year. In November, Xi met US President Joe Biden in San Francisco and agreed to restore the military…