China removes its absent defense minister in a leadership transition

On Tuesday, China announced the dismissal of Gen. Li Shangfu as defense minister, the latest expulsion of a senior leader in the country who had vanished from public view with little explanation.

In an unprecedented step to fire officials from the inner ring of the ruling Communist Party, Li and former foreign minister Qin Gang also lost their titles as state councilors on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Wang Yi, Qin's replacement, is scheduled to visit Washington this week to have meetings with national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. This could lead to the first meeting between President Xi and President Joe Biden in a year.

As is customary in the nation's government, no justification was provided for the pair's expulsion. The decision to keep Li's office vacant was made following a vote by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which is composed of China's most powerful lawmakers.

Since August 29, Li has not been sighted in public. In March, he was appointed defense secretary, coinciding with Xi's start of an extraordinary third term in office.