China’s top legislative body to discuss ‘appointments and dismissals’ amid military purge
Ex-Chinese defence minister’s absence from Lunar New Year list sparks questions
These included the former head of the rocket force, Li Yuchao, and his deputy, Zhang Zhenzhong, who had been removed from their command positions earlier in the year. The South China Morning Post has previously reported that they are under investigation for possible corruption.
The same meeting confirmed that Qin Gang, whose dismissal as foreign minister had been announced three months previously, had also lost his position as a state councillor, the highest cabinet rank.
Li and Qin are still on the list of the 3,000 or so NPC delegates and their seats on the legislature could now be under review. The pair also remain members of the 300-strong Central Committee, the party’s ruling body.
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China sacks defence minister Li Shangfu with no explanation after nearly two-month absence
The meeting may also be an opportunity for the new Defence Minister Dong Jun to be promoted to state councillor rank and given a seat on the Central Military Commission – positions held by all his predecessors.
There has not been a shake-up of high-ranking figures on this scale for decades. Although meetings of the NPC Standing Committee might have provided a rare opportunity to shed some light on this opaque process, so far Beijing has yet to provide reasons for the dismissals.
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President Xi Jinping indicated the wider battle against corruption would not let up last month, telling a meeting of the commission that it must show “no mercy” in tackling the “severe and complex” problem.