Now, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu is missing? Here's all you need to know-

Beijing, Sept 15: In yet another mystery, now Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for over two weeks. According to US, he has been placed under investigation, the US government believes. Shangfu has also been stripped of his responsibilities as defence minister, the Financial Times reported.

  

Li, 65, has missed meetings with Vietnamese and Singaporean defence leaders in recent weeks, reports suggest. The last time he was seen in public eye was in Beijing on August 29 while delivering a keynote address at a security forum with African nations.

 

Taking to X, Rahm Emanuel, the US envoy to Japan, wrote, "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 defence 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?"

 

 

He further quoted Shakespeare in Hamlet and wrote, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” 1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn’t been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam. Now: He’s absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy because he was placed on house arrest???...Might be getting crowded in there. Good news is I heard he’s paid off his mortgage with the Country Garden real estate developers."

 

It is pertinent to mention that Shangfu's disappearance came after Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang went missing in July. Before Li was appointed to his post in March, he had led the military's procurement unit.

 

In a rare notice in July, the unit said it was looking to "clean up" its bidding process and invited the public to report irregularities dating back to 2017. There has been no update on possible findings.

 

 

Li's absence is being particularly closely watched by the United States, which has not dropped sanctions imposed on him in 2018 for buying weapons from Russia's largest arms exporter, Rosoboronexport. In 2018, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Li in connection with China's purchase of Russian weapons when he headed the PLA's main department for procuring and developing weapons

 

Chinese officials have repeatedly said they want those sanctions dropped to facilitate better discussions between the two sides' militaries.

 

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin attempted talks with Li during a defence conference in Singapore in June but did not get beyond a handshake.