China names new defense minister months after removing predecessor without explanation

China has named former naval commander Dong Jun as its new defense minister, two months after removing his predecessor Li Shangfu from the role without explanation following Li’s extended absence from public view.

The top body of China’s rubber stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), announced Dong’s appointment Friday following their final session for the year, Chinese state media Xinhua reported.

The body also announced that nine military figures had been removed from their positions in the NPC, according to Xinhua. The announcement did not provide reasons for the sweeping move, which comes on the heels of a series of military personnel shake-ups in recent months.

The appointment of the new defense minister Dong, who had served as the top commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy since 2021, ends months of speculation over when Beijing would fill the role 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 unexplained personnel shakeups that have roiled the country’s upper ranks, including the dramatic ousting of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July and the removal of two leaders from the PLA’s Rocket Force.

Both Li and Qin had taken up their roles earlier this year, hand-picked by Chinese leader Xi Jinping as he stacked important positions with his loyalists upon entering a norm-shattering third term.

Their abrupt dismissals raised questions about the governance of Xi, who has made China’s political system even more opaque as he concentrates power and enforces strict party discipline.

Military shakeups
The removal of the nine PLA figures as NPC delegates is set to fuel speculations about a broader purge in the military, as Xi continues his decade-long drive to crackdown on corruption in its ranks.

While the NPC is largely a rubber-stamp parliament, being appointed a delegate to the organization is an endorsement of one’s political elite status. Previously, NPC delegates have been stripped off their positions due to corruption investigations.

Among those listed Friday are former Rocket Force chief Li Yuchao, who was removed from his post in July, and four other officials who are currently or formerly in the branch.