China has replaced its Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu, who had been in office since June 2023. This is the second senior Chinese official to disappear this year, following the removal of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July. The removal of these two officials has raised questions about the stability of the Chinese government and the future of President Xi Jinping's leadership.
Posts tagged as “International Institute for Strategic Studie”
At the 20th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu defended the sailing of a Chinese warship across the path of an American destroyer and Canadian frigate transiting the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. and Canada have both expressed concern and called on China to respect the freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, raising tensions between the three countries and highlighting the ongoing dispute over the status of Taiwan. Gen. Li stated that China does not have any intention of attacking any other country, and that its military development is purely for defensive purposes.