China has named former navy commander Dong Jun (董軍) as the country’s new defense minister to replace the last minister who disappeared from public view four months ago, while it expelled nine military officials from its top legislative body.
The appointment by Chinese lawmakers comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) upgrades the military as part of his push to make China a dominant world power, a goal that has alarmed many neighbors, especially its assertiveness toward Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea.
Dong, 62, is no stranger to those flash points.
Photo: AFP
Before becoming the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy commander and a full general in 2021, he was vice commander of the East Sea Fleet, the backbone of what is now the Eastern Theater Command — the main force responsible for fighting over Taiwan.
He also served as deputy commander of the Southern Theater Command, which operates in the South China Sea, most of which is claimed through China.
“Dong would be used to dealing with close encounters between the Chinese and U. S. militaries. This is useful when you have to deal with crises between the two militaries,” said Li Mingjiang (李明江), a foreign specialist at the S School of International Studies. Rajaratnam of Singapore.
Sung Wen-ti (宋文堤), a political scientist and non-resident researcher at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, said the Dong variety may simply be a sign that purges are underway in the department of rocket strength and apparatus progression.
The two former defense ministers, who came from those two forces, have since disappeared from the public scene.
Dong replaces Li Shangfu (李尚福), who led the branch in aircraft acquisition and research before taking over the defense post in March. Li has been noticed in public since Aug. 25.
Sources said that Li was under investigation for corruption related to equipment procurement and development.
In an imaginable sign of a wider purge, nine senior military officers were removed from the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Xinhua news firm reported, presenting a separate announcement Friday from the legislature.
These include former PLA Rocket Force chief Li Yuchao (李玉超), who was replaced in July, his predecessor Zhou Yaning (週亞寧), two other rocket force officials, two officials from the PLA’s Equipment Development Department, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Central Military Commission. Deputy Head of Department Zhang Zhenzhong (張振中) and former Air Force Commander Ding Laihang (丁來杭).
Separately, Japanese news firm Kyodo reported that Xi last month called on China’s coast guard to step up its activities to assert sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), known as Japan’s Senkaku Islands and claimed through Taiwan, Japan and China.
The coast guard has drawn up a plan to send boats or patrols next year near the uninhabited islets, with ships tasked with examining Japanese fishing boats at the site, Kyodo said, citing unnamed sources.