Sinologist Adil Kaukenov commented on a significant political event in China’s internal politics. Here is his statement:
«Today, Chinese news agencies reported a long-awaited sensation: China’s Minister of National Defense, Li Shangfu, who had not appeared in public for two months, has been removed from his position. The decision to dismiss him was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Minister Li Shangfu gained significant attention in Russian media for being under personal American sanctions for dealings with the Russian military-industrial complex. Equally sensational this year was the removal from office of Foreign Minister Qin Gan.
In China, dismissals from office and arrests of high-ranking officials for corruption are not uncommon. It’s well-known that Chinese authorities have little tolerance for corrupt officials. However, in these two cases, the puzzle lies in the fact that they were appointed just recently, at the beginning of the year, during the traditional reshuffling of the top government ranks.
Naturally, in the high-stakes political games at the highest levels, the stakes are exceptionally high. But it still raises questions about whether the Party Discipline Committee overlooked any ‘tails’ in the ministerial candidates, and will there be repercussions within this body? Moreover, it’s interesting to know if the Chinese media will make the results of the investigations public, as it would be extremely intriguing to understand the truly detective story from the corridors of Zhongnanhai in detail.»
