Li Shangfu, China’s defense minister, was officially fired two months after he vanished from public view.
According to the BBC, neither the reason for his dismissal nor the identity of his replacement have been disclosed.
His dismissal comes after a number of high-ranking military officials were recently fired, including Qin Gang, who lost her position as foreign minister in July.
On Tuesday, Mr. Qin and Mr. Li were also dismissed from their posts on the State Council, which is the nation’s government.
China’s top legislators, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, approved the removal of both men, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
His dismissal leaves China without a defence minister as it prepares to host foreign defence officials in Beijing this week.
Reuters reported last month that he was under investigation for suspected corruption related to equipment procurement and development.
He was last seen in public on 29 August, at a Beijing security forum with African nations. He had only been in the post since March.
An aerospace engineer who began his career at a satellite and rocket launch centre, Gen Li has had a smooth ascent through the ranks of the military and Chinese political elite.
In 2018, when he headed the equipment development arm of the military, he was sanctioned by the US government over China’s purchases of Russian combat aircraft and arms.
It was believed that the penalties were a source of contention for General Li, as he declined to attend a defense summit in Singapore earlier this year with his US colleague Lloyd Austin.
He was regarded as President Xi Jinping’s favorite, much like Mr. Qin, who was recently relieved of his last official position.
After only seven months on the position, Mr. Qin was dismissed as China’s foreign minister in July.
Additionally, there was no explanation provided for Mr. Qin’s dismissal; nonetheless, the Wall Street Journal reported rumors that he had an extramarital affair while serving as ambassador to the US.
Soon after, two leaders of an elite unit managing its nuclear arsenal were replaced, triggering speculation of a purge.
General Li Yuchao who headed the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Rocket Force unit and his deputy had “disappeared” for months before their dismissals were announced.
