High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell was originally scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on May 23, 2023 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Thomas Peter Poole/Getty Images)
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The Chinese Communist Party on Thursday removed former foreign and defense ministers Qin Gang and Li Shangfu from the Central Committee at a meeting of the party’s largest top decision-making body, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Both officials were fired last year.
The ruling Communist Party ends long-delayed Third Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee The 205-member Central Committee met on Thursday about once every five years to set the overall direction of the country’s long-term social and economic policies. The removal of Central Committee members will also be approved at such meetings.
The central government stated in a communique published by Xinhua News Agency that it accepted Qin Gang’s resigned and confirmed that Li Shangfu, 66, and Li Yuchao, 61, the former commander of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, were expelled from the party for “serious violations of discipline and law” (a euphemism for corruption). Li Yuchao was also dismissed last year.
The decision to expel Li Shangfu and Li Yuchao from the Communist Party and its Central Committee suggests that the pair will face harsher political consequences than Qin Gang’s resignation. Qin is still a member of the Communist Party.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has spearheaded a broad anti-corruption campaign since taking over as leader of the Communist Party in 2012.
Both Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe Expelled Last month, China’s People’s Liberation Army was engaged in a sweeping anti-corruption purge that implicated two former defense ministers and nine senior generals.
Qin, 58, was abruptly removed as foreign minister last July after seven months in the job and has not been seen in public since rumors emerged that he had not been seen in public. Affair. In October, he was removed from China’s State Council and “resigned” from the country’s legislative body in February.
In October last year, Ri Sang-bok was dismissed from his post as defense minister without any explanation and was subsequently investigated for corruption. In February, he was removed from the party’s top military command.
In July last year, the leadership of the Rocket Force was changed. Li Yuchao was replaced and the political commissar was dismissed. He leads a highly strategic unit of the People’s Liberation Army responsible for the country’s conventional and nuclear missile arsenal.
Minister of Agriculture Tang Renjian, 61 years old under investigation He has remained a member of the Central Committee since May due to corruption.
According to the communiqué, three alternate Central Committee members were appointed as full members: Ding Xiangqun, the person in charge of personnel of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee, Yu Lijun, the person in charge of the personnel of the Sichuan Provincial Committee, and Yu Jihong, the president of Beijing Normal University.
According to past practice, the Central Committee will appoint some of the 171 alternate members in order of the number of votes they receive.
This new appointment skipped over Ding Xingnong, deputy political commissar of the Rocket Force, who was originally second in line to succeed the Central Committee.
The communique stated that Lieutenant General Sun Jinming, former alternate member of the Central Committee and Chief of General Staff of the Rocket Force, was also expelled from the party for bribery.
