24 Oct 2023 at 15:34
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu has been fired, state media confirmed on Tuesday. Rumors have been swirling for months because Li no longer appears in public.
The resignation is part of a major reorganization of the Chinese cabinet. This restructuring also cost Foreign Minister Qin Gang his place. The reason for Li’s dismissal has not been disclosed.
International media previously wrote that the defense minister has probably been fired. In September, the news agency reported Reuters that he is being investigated for corruption. The US ambassador to Japan suggested Li may be under house arrest. No replacement has yet been appointed.
Qin was dismissed as foreign minister in July after he too had not been seen in public for weeks. The reason for his dismissal has also not been disclosed. According to the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal he had an extramarital affair in the United States and was therefore investigated. Now, according to state media, he has also lost his position as a state councilor.
Science and Technology Minister Wang Zhigang and Finance Minister Liu Kun have also been removed from their positions in the cabinet reorganization. They will be replaced by party secretaries Yin Hejun and Lan Fo’an.
Get notifications for news about China Stay informed with notifications
July 25, 2023 at 10:55 p.m
‘Disappeared’ Chinese foreign minister dismissed after unexplained absence
Beeld: Getty Images
2023-10-24 13:34:18
#disappeared #Chinese #minister #dismissed #year
