HONG KONG: According to diplomats and analysts, the disappearance of Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu demonstrates the opaque and complex nature of the People’s Liberation Army( PLA ).
Li is being investigated over the corrupt acquisition of military equipment during his previous role, according to a Reuters report from Friday( Sep 15 ). Additionally, eight other top officials are under investigation. His death has not been made clear in writing.
LI SHANGFU’S POWERFULNESS IN THE PLA SYSTEM
The US defense secretary and many other worldwide versions are seen as having significantly less power than the Minister of National Defense in the Foreign system.
Without a clear command function, the position is largely one of political and royal duties.
Li, however, is one of the five State Councillors on the Central Military Commission( CMC ), a position that is higher than that of an ordinary cabinet minister, and he serves under the command of Commander-in-Chi Jinping.
Military attaches and analysts claim that Li, an aircraft engineer who worked on China’s satellite system, was regarded as a reformer who contributed to the realization of Xi of his modernization eyesight for the PLA.
THE CHINESE Government SYSTEM: HOW DOES IT Run?
The PLA, the Communist Party’s armed wing,” does not immediately serve the state but is somewhat under the immediate control of the party ,” according to the Pentagon.
Li did had undergone vetting to make sure he was completely dedicated to the party and to Xi as his career progressed to this point.
In order to ensure loyalty, 1, and morale, the PLA also maintains an active corps of political commissars that flank the command chain. There are no obvious alternatives to the guardsman system outside of conventional Socialist militaries.
The CMC, on the other hand, is the group’s top system for making military decisions.
According to the Pentagon record, which was published in November 2022,” Xi Jinping has implemented numerous changes since taking office as CMC Chairman, significantly reducing PLA independence and strengthening Party control over the military.”
Foreign defense attaches who closely examine the PLA claim that this adds an additional layer of obscurity beyond standard army privacy.