China's ruling Communist Party drops ex-foreign defence ministers from top body

Beijing, Jul 18 (PTI) China's ruling Communist Party on Thursday accepted the resignation of sacked foreign minister Qin Gang from its Central Committee and endorsed the decision to expel former defence minister Li Shangfu and two other top Generals from the party.
    The decision came during the top-level meeting of the party's Central Committee, which concluded here on Thursday.
    According to the communique issued at the end of the four-day session called the third plenum of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee convened to discuss measures to improve the economy has accepted “Comrade Qin Gang's resignation”.
    Qin, 58, disappeared suddenly in 2023 from public view after serving as China’s shortest-serving foreign minister before being stripped of his remaining titles in the government.
    The reason for his removal is still not known.
    His whereabouts are also not known. However, while accepting his resignation, the Central Committee still referred to Qin as “Comrade”.
    Qin was subsequently replaced by his predecessor Wang Yi who is also a member of the high-powered Politburo of the party.
    Earlier, Qin was stripped of his position as a state councillor and was allowed to resign as a member of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s Parliament.
    The third plenum also confirmed the Politburo's earlier decision to expel Gen. Li Shangfu and two other senior generals of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Li Yuchao and Sun Jinming, from the Party.
    Li Shangfu, who headed the country’s Rocket (Missile) Force before becoming Defence Minister, was being tried for alleged corruption.
    Li Yuchao, who was also part of the Rocket Force, was sacked along with Li Shanfu.
    The meeting also endorsed the decision of another top PLA, Gen. Sun Jinming, from the party for corruption and indiscipline.
    Official media reports say their removals highlighted the intensity of the ongoing anti-corruption campaign by President Xi Jinping to cleanse the military of corrupt elements. Xi, 71, is also the General Secretary of the CPC.
    So far, over 50 military officials of various ranks have been removed or punished since Xi came to power in 2012.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)