‘Missing’ since early September, China’s defense chief Li sacked

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China’s President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sacked the country’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has not been seen in public since early September.

Xi signed a presidential decree Tuesday to remove Li Shangfu as China’s state councilor and defense minister, Beijing-based daily Global Times reported.

Li was last seen in late August when he addressed a China-Africa security forum in Beijing.

Xi also removed former Foreign Minister Qin Gang as state councilor, who was also off the public radar for over a month before being sacked in July.

In China, the post of state councilor is a rank above Cabinet minister.

In March, the Communist Party’s National Party Congress endorsed Xi's new Cabinet.

It is not known if there is any connection between the two officials losing their posts, given the similarity between their disappearing from public view and then being sacked.​​​​​​​