China has removed General Li Shangfu as defence minister in the country’s second leadership shake-up in three months, APA reports citing South China Morning Post.
State news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday that Li had been removed, without explanation. It came after weeks of speculation over the fate of the US-sanctioned general, who has not been seen in public since the end of August. The decision to remove him was approved by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.
Li is the second minister to be abruptly removed since Xi Jinping began his unprecedented third term as the party’s leader last October. Qin Gang was replaced as foreign minister in July by his predecessor Wang Yi, after a similar unexplained withdrawal from public engagements. The reason for Qin’s removal is still not known.
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