Two months after Li Shangfu vanished from public career, China has formally fired its defense secretary.
His dismissal has not been explained, and no substitution for his position has been named.
On Tuesday, Mrs. Qin and Li even lost their seats on the State Council, the nation’s department.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in China approved the removal of both gentlemen.
As China gets ready to host overseas defense officials in Beijing this week, his departure leaves China without a defense secretary.
On August 29, at a security conference with African countries in Beijing, he was last seen in people. Just since March had he been in the position.
Gen Li, an aircraft expert who started his career at a launch pad for satellites and rockets, rose quickly through the political and military elites of China.
The US government sanctioned him in 2018 for China’s purchases of Russian combat aviation and weapons while he was in charge of the military ‘ technology advancement division.
Gen Li, who declined to meet with his US equivalent Lloyd Austin at a Singapore defense summit earlier this year, was thought to be stuck by the restrictions.
Like Mr. Qin, who has since been stripped of his previous state name, he was rumored to be a favorite of President Jinping Xi.
Only seven months into his position as China’s international rector, Mr. Qin was fired in July.
Prior to their dismissals being made public, General Li Yuchao, who oversaw the People’s Liberation Army( PLA ) Rocket Force unit, and his deputy had” disappeared” for several months.
