BEIJING - China named former navy chief Dong Jun as its new defence minister on Dec 29 to replace the last minister who disappeared from public view four months ago.
The appointment by Chinese lawmakers comes as President Xi Jinping upgrades the military as part of his push to make China a dominant world power, a goal which has alarmed many neighbours.
The role of China’s defence minister is to be the public face of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in its engagement with the media and with other armed forces.
A crucial element of his job is to engage with the United States military to lower the risk of conflict over Taiwan and the South China Sea, two flashpoints to which General Dong, 62, is no stranger.
Before becoming the PLA’s navy chief and made a full general in 2021, he was vice-commander of the East Sea Fleet, the backbone of what is now the Eastern Theatre Command – the main force responsible for fighting over Taiwan, a self-ruled island China considers its own.
He also served as vice-commander of the Southern Theatre Command which operates in the disputed South China Sea, most of which is claimed by China.
“Dong would be familiar with managing near-encounters between Chinese and US military. This is useful when he has to manage crises between both militaries,” said Professor Li Mingjiang, international relations scholar at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
Mr Wen-Ti Sung, political scientist and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, said the selection of Gen Dong could be a sign that purges are ongoing in the Rocket Force and Equipment Development Department.
The two preceding defence ministers, who came from these two forces, have since disappeared from public view.
Gen Dong replaces General Li Shangfu, who had headed the department in charge of equipment procurement and research before taking up the defence minister job in March. Gen Li has not been seen in public since Aug 25.
Reuters cited sources to report that Gen Li was under investigation for corruption related to equipment procurement and development.
Beijing has not explained Gen Li’s disappearance, but stripped him of his title as defence minister and state councillor in October.
During his brief tenure as minister, Gen Li did not meet his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. The ministry explained Washington would have to first remove the sanctions it placed on Gen Li on 2018 over his role in purchasing Russian aircraft and equipment.
Gen Dong would face no such constraint, as he is not known to be under US sanctions.
When US President Joe Biden and Mr Xi met in San Francisco in November, both leaders agreed to resume senior military talks that were suspended following then House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to self-ruled Taiwan in August 2022. REUTERS
