Chinese Defense Minister Missing Since Aug 29; Foreign Minister Removed

In China, after the Foreign Minister, now Defense Minister Li Shangfu has also gone missing. In Japan, the US Ambassador to the US, Rahm Emanuel, posted a message on the social media platform X regarding the increasing political turmoil in China. He mentioned that China’s Defense Minister has not been seen for the last 29 days. Before this, the General of China’s Rocket Force had also gone missing.

According to reports, China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen since August 29, 2023. He was under investigation for corruption cases in 2017. He has not been seen in public engagements since then. Previously, he had addressed the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum. During this time, he used the term “Taiwan card” against China instead of using it against the United States. He stated that the US was playing the Taiwan card against China.

On the day when China’s Defense Minister went missing, China’s President Xi Jinping had a talk with the country’s military. Not only did he emphasize unity and stability in the military, but he also mentioned that the military should be prepared for war. Li Shangfu was appointed as the Defense Minister in March 2023.

China’s Defense Minister Li comes from a military family. His father, Li Shaozhu, was a Red Army officer. He fought against Japan during the 1930s and 1940s. He was involved in logistics reconstruction during the civil war and the Korean War. He played a key role in rebuilding the logistical railway lines. Li’s family had a long history of military service.

Prior to this, China’s Foreign Minister Kang Gang had also gone missing. On July 4, he was supposed to meet with Josep Borrell, the Chief of European Union’s Foreign Policy, but the meeting was suddenly canceled. It was later revealed that Borrell had been informed two days earlier that the meeting could not take place. The meeting was abruptly canceled without any explanation. On July 7, journalists asked questions for the first time about China’s Foreign Minister Kang Gang.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded that they had no information. On July 10 and 11, Kang Gang was supposed to participate in a summit in Indonesia, but it was reported that he might not be able to attend due to health reasons. His transcript was published on the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. However, the health-related information was missing. China’s Foreign Minister Kang was last seen meeting with Russian, Sri Lankan, and Vietnamese officials on June 25. Since then, he had not been seen in public engagements.

There have been rumors of an affair between an American citizen and Cambridge-educated reporter Fu Jiayi circulating on social media amid the missing ministerial officials. Fu Jiayi, an American citizen and a Cambridge-educated reporter and TV anchor, has been rumored to be involved in an affair with a government official. Discussions about Queen Gang’s absence were also trending on China’s social media platform Weibo and on China’s largest search engine Baidu.

The Disappearance of Powerful Individuals in China: A Historical Perspective

The disappearance of powerful individuals in China is not a new phenomenon. It has been happening since the time of modern China’s founder, Mao Zedong. During Mao’s time, the Hundred Flowers Campaign was initiated, which allowed people the freedom to criticize the system and its shortcomings. Many individuals took the opportunity to express their grievances, but they were later silenced. Mao’s intent was to identify and target his opponents from within. This tactic has persisted, and even today, President Xi Jinping is known to employ a similar strategy.