China Appoints New Defense Minister

​(Patria) - China has appointed Dong Jun as its new defense minister, two months after his predecessor was officially dismissed, the BBC reported.

Dong, a former naval commander, takes over from Li Shangfu, who was last seen in public in August.

Dong's appointment was announced by China's top lawmakers at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing on Friday. The move follows a series of dismissals of top military officials in the country earlier this year. This included the removal of Qin Gang from the position of foreign minister in July. No reasons were given for the dismissal of Li or Qin. Both had been in their positions for only seven months.

Further dismissals also occurred this week, with nine senior military officials removed from the Standing Committee on Friday, Reuters reported, citing state media Xinhua.

Three executives from state-owned missile defense companies were also removed from Beijing's top political advisory body earlier this week. Some analysts say this could indicate a possible wider purge targeting high-ranking military leaders.

Dong (62) was appointed commander of the navy in August 2021. His previous roles included deputy commander of the southern theater command of the Chinese military. Its area of operation includes the South China Sea, where China disputes with several countries.