China names Dong Jun as defence minister, replacing vanished Li Shangfu
China has named a top ranked navy official as its new defence minister - but both his predecessors mysteriously disappeared from public view.
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China has named a top ranked navy official as its new defence minister - but both his predecessors mysteriously disappeared from public view.
The promotion of Adm. Dong Jun may calm uncertainty after the unexplained disappearance of the previous minister, Gen. Li Shangfu.
China announced that former navy chief Dong Jun would become defense minister, following the minister who disappeared four months earlier.
The new defence minister, former navy chief Dong Jun, previously served as vice commander of the Southern Theatre Command which operates in the disputed South China Sea.
The appointment comes as President Xi Jinping upgrades the military as part of his push to make China a dominant world power, a goal that has alarmed many neighbors