China’s Defense Minister, Li Shangfu, has been conspicuously missing for over two weeks, triggering substantial conjecture about his location and potential implications for his standing within China‘s political hierarchy. This development follows closely after the mysterious vanishing of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was subsequently removed from his position without any disclosed information regarding his whereabouts.
After Defense Minister Li’s absence, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the importance of upholding a “high standard of ethics and cohesion within the armed forces” while emphasizing the imperative of maintaining stability and security within the military during a speech delivered on Saturday, September 9, 2023.
Taking it to X USA’s ambassador in Japan posted, “President Xi’s cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie’s novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn’t been seen in public for two weeks. Who’s going to win this unemployment race? China’s youth or Xi’s cabinet?”
President Xi's cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen in public for two weeks. Who's going…
— ラーム・エマニュエル駐日米国大使 (@USAmbJapan) September 8, 2023
According to a report published by the Financial Times, the U.S. government holds the belief that Li is currently subject to an investigation. The report said, “Three US officials and two people briefed on the intelligence said the US had concluded that Li, who has not been seen in public for more than two weeks, had been stripped of his responsibilities as defence minister.”
Li Shangfu joined the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in August 1982 and possesses a Doctor of Engineering degree. Additionally, he is a member of the current Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. This committee comprises the highest-ranking leaders.
During the speculation of Li Shangfu’s potential promotion to a ministerial position in March 2023, his father held a prominent position as a top general in the PLA’s railway force. Li’s most recent public appearance took place on August 29 when he delivered a keynote address at the 3rd China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing. After that, he went missing.
Li’s prolonged absence is under close scrutiny, especially by the United States, which has not rescinded the sanctions imposed on him in 2018 for his procurement of weapons from Russia’s primary arms exporter. Chinese officials have consistently expressed their desire for the removal of these sanctions to enhance dialogues between the military counterparts of both nations. In June, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attempted to engage in discussions with Li during a defence conference in Singapore, but the interaction did not progress beyond a handshake.
On Thursday, September 14, 2023, Vietnamese officials reported that Li had unexpectedly cancelled a meeting the previous week, citing a “health condition” as the reason. Back in 2018, during his tenure as the head of the PLA’s primary department responsible for weapon procurement and development, the Trump administration in the USA imposed sanctions on Li in relation to China’s acquisition of Russian weaponry.
Li Shangfu is the second minister of China to go missing in the last few months. Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang went missing from public view in June. He was missing for a month and a half before he was removed from the post in July 2023. Qin has remained out of the public eye since June 25, which marked his last public appearance when he held a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing. Known for his proximity to President Xi, Qin assumed the role of foreign minister in December 2022. The 57-year-old diplomat, who has spent several years serving at the Chinese embassy in London, boasts fluency in English.
Qin gained notoriety as a “Wolf Warrior,” a moniker attributed to a contemporary cadre of Chinese diplomats known for responding vigorously, at times with incendiary rhetoric, to Western censure of Beijing. His sudden removal from office occurred without an officially disclosed reason, although there were circulating speculations suggesting that the diplomat’s purported involvement in an affair with a prominent television anchor may have led to his predicament.
Politicians mysteriously disappearing from public life is not new in China. Xi Jinping had similarly disappeared from public sight for a two-week period prior to assuming the role of Chinese President in 2012. This absence sparked rumours regarding his well-being and the potential existence of power struggles within the Communist Party.
