One sentence summary – China’s Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu, is currently unaccounted for and reports suggest that he may be under investigation for corruption, potentially leading to his removal from office, raising questions about President Xi Jinping’s political judgement and sparking speculation about the unpredictability within China’s ruling elite.
At a glance
- China’s Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu, is currently unaccounted for.
- Reports suggest that General Li is under investigation for corruption.
- There are indications that he may be removed from office.
- This potential purge of General Li is part of a series of dismissals of high-level officials.
- President Xi Jinping’s political judgement is being questioned.
The details
China’s Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu, is currently unaccounted for.
The Chinese government has not confirmed his whereabouts.
Reports suggest that General Li is under investigation for corruption.
There are indications that he may be removed from office.
This potential purge of General Li is part of a series of dismissals of high-level officials.
This raises questions about President Xi Jinping’s political judgement.
President Xi has maintained a low international profile recently.
He did not attend the G20 Summit in India.
General Li has not been seen in public for approximately two weeks.
He canceled a meeting in Vietnam, citing a “health condition.”
The US government believes that General Li is the subject of an internal probe, according to the Financial Times.
The Wall Street Journal reported that General Li was taken away by authorities last week.
The investigation into General Li is reportedly linked to the procurement of military equipment.
The Chinese authorities have not provided any information regarding the reason for his disappearance.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson stated that they were not aware of the situation.
This situation with General Li follows the ousting of the foreign minister, Qin Gang, in July.
Qin Gang also disappeared from public view.
President Xi had previously removed the top generals at the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force in August.
These recent shake-ups have led to speculation about the unpredictability within China’s ruling elite.
Some foreign diplomats believe that President Xi’s absence at the G20 Summit reflects a trend of China distancing itself from the West.
As a result, Han Zheng, the Chinese vice president, will attend the United Nations General Assembly instead of top diplomat Wang Yi.
Wang Yi, in turn, will be heading to Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart.
These are all the available facts and information about the news story surrounding the missing Chinese Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu.
Article X-ray
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A silhouette of a military uniform hanging on a coat rack, with a missing name tag.
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| telegraph.co.uk |
|---|
| – China has not confirmed the whereabouts of its defense minister, General Li Shangfu. – Reports suggest that General Li is under investigation for corruption and may be removed from office. – |
| The potential purge of General Li is part of a series of dismissals of high-level officials that has raised questions about President Xi Jinping’s political judgement. |
| – President Xi has kept a low international profile recently and did not attend the G20 Summit in India. – General Li has not been seen in public for about two weeks and canceled a meeting in Vietnam citing a “health condition. |
| ” – The US government believes that General Li is the subject of an internal probe, according to the Financial Times. – |
| The Wall Street Journal reported that General Li was taken away by authorities last week. – |
| The investigation is reportedly linked to the procurement of military equipment. – |
| The Chinese authorities have not provided any information about the reason for General Li’s disappearance. – |
| The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said they were not aware of the situation. – General Li’s situation follows the ousting of the foreign minister, Qin Gang, in July, who also disappeared from public view. – President Xi previously removed the top generals at the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force in August. – |
| The recent shake-up has led to speculation about the unpredictability within China’s ruling elite. – Some foreign diplomats believe that President Xi’s absence at the G20 reflects a trend of China distancing itself from the West. – Han Zheng, the Chinese vice president, will attend the United Nations General Assembly instead of top diplomat Wang Yi. |
| – Wang Yi will be heading to Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart. |
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