China removes Defenсe Minister Li Shangfu after two-month disappearance

China’s Defence Minister Li Shangfu was fired on October 24 two months after he disappeared from public view, becoming the second high-profile minister to lose his job recently without any official explanation.

Li was also removed from his positions as a member of the Central Military Commission – a powerful body headed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping who ultimately commands the armed forces – and as one of China’s five state councillors – a senior position in the cabinet that outranks a regular minister, CNN reports citing state broadcaster CCTV.

The decision was approved by the standing committee of the country’s rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress, according to CCTV. The committee did not name any successor to Li.

Li, who was appointed defence minister in March, has not been seen in public since late August, fueling intense speculation about his fate.

The general’s disappearance follows 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.

Qin was also removed as a state councillor on Tuesday, CCTV reported.

Weeks before Li vanished from public view, Xi convened the military’s top brass in Beijing for a meeting, where he emphasized political loyalty, discipline and the party’s “absolute leadership” over the armed forces.

Days after that meeting, Xi sacked the two top generals of the PLA Rocket Force, an elite unit overseeing the nation’s arsenal of nuclear and ballistic missiles, sparking concerns of a broader purge in the military.

The Chinese government has repeatedly declined to comment on Li’s whereabouts and the reasons behind his absence.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Li was taken away in September by authorities for questioning, citing a person close to decision-making in Beijing.

The Financial Times also reported that the US government believes the defence minister has been placed under investigation, citing American officials. Neither of the reports cited a reason for the investigation.

Asked whether Li was under investigation last month, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said he was “not aware of the situation.”

It’s unclear if any disciplinary actions have been or will be taken against Li.