China removed General Li Shangfu from his key position as defence minister and state councillor, as well as removed Qin Gang from his state councillor role.
The government of China has not been given any reason behind the removal of the most influential minister, General Li Shangfu.
General Li was last seen in public on August 29 and was under investigation for suspected corruption related to equipment procurement. Qin Gang had a shorter tenure and was rumored to have had an extramarital affair.
These abrupt changes in leadership have raised questions about China’s direction, especially considering the challenges in its relations with the United States and sluggish economic growth.
Both Li and Qin were considered close to Chinese President Xi Jinping, making their departures notable. The country is now without a defense minister as it prepares to host foreign defense officials at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
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The revolving door of Chinese politics has been spinning for the past three months.
Li Shangfu, China’s defence minister for just half a year, disappeared nearly three weeks ago, becoming the second minister to go missing from public view after Qin Gang was stripped of the foreign minister position in July.
The disappearance of two ministers within two months has marked the most unstable period for the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in almost 45 years.
