China named former naval commander Dong Jun as its new defense minister, two months after removing his predecessor, Li Shangfu, from the post without explanation following Li's prolonged absence from public view.
The highest body of the Chinese legislature announced Dong's appointment this Friday (29), after the last session of the year, Chinese state media Xinhua reported.
Dong has served as the top commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy since 2021. His appointment ends months of speculation about when Beijing would fill the position left vacant after the same political body approved Li's removal in October.
Li, who was appointed defense minister in March, has not been seen in public since late August, fueling intense speculation about his fate.
His disappearance and subsequent removal followed a series of inexplicable personnel changes that roiled the country's upper echelons, including the dramatic dismissal of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July and the removal of two leaders of the Force. of PLA Rockets, all without explanation.
Both Li and Qin took up their roles earlier this year, handpicked by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as he accumulated key positions with his supporters as he entered a norm-shaking third term.
Their abrupt resignations have raised questions about Xi's governance, which has made China's political system even more opaque as it concentrates power and imposes strict party discipline.
Weeks before Li disappeared from public view, Xi summoned the top military brass in Beijing to a meeting, where he emphasized political loyalty, discipline and the party's “absolute leadership” over the military.
The Chinese government has repeatedly refused to comment on Li's whereabouts and the reasons for his absence. Friday's announcement did not provide further details beyond announcing Dong's appointment.
The “Wall Street Journal” reported that Li was taken in by authorities in September for questioning, citing a person close to decision-making in Beijing.
The Financial Times also reported that the US government believes the defense minister has been placed under investigation, citing US officials. Neither report cited the reason for the investigation.
In July, the PLA Equipment Development Department announced a new crackdown on corrupt procurement practices, asking for tips on questionable activities dating back to 2017 – coinciding with the time Li took command of the department.
Dong Jun, new minister
New Minister Dong became the top commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in 2021. On Monday (25), former submarine commander Hu Zhongming was appointed to this role during a ceremony that promoted him to admiral.
Dong was present at the event and sat in the front row, according to video broadcast by state media.
Before taking command of the Navy, Dong was deputy commander of the PLA's Southern Theater Command, which oversees operations in the South China Sea.
Beijing has become increasingly assertive in the disputed and strategically important waterway under Xi, militarizing islands and using its expanding navy to assert its power in the region, where a handful of Southeast Asian nations hold rival claims.
In China, the defense minister plays a largely ceremonial role, serving as the public face of military diplomacy with other countries.
Unlike the US defense secretary and other international counterparts, the Chinese defense minister has no commanding power, which resides in the Central Military Commission. The defense minister traditionally sits on the commission.
However, the minister plays an important role in China's military diplomacy, and Dong's appointment could facilitate the ongoing restoration of high-level defense dialogue between the US and China.
Top US and Chinese generals spoke last week for the first time in more than a year, marking the end of a tense silence between senior US and Chinese military officials.
Beijing cut off communication in August 2022 following a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the autonomous island that Beijing's ruling Communist Party claims despite never having controlled.
Former Chinese minister Li was sanctioned by the US in 2018 over China's purchase of Russian weapons, and Beijing has repeatedly suggested that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would not get a meeting with Li unless the sanctions were lifted. revoked.
Source: CNN Brasil
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