Li has refused to hold meetings with US counterparts until Washington lifts sanctions on him, imposed by then president Donald Trump in 2018 for his procurement of Russian military technology.
The latest apparent removal of an elite Chinese official from public view led Ambassador Emmanuel, who has been openly critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping, to fuel speculation about the issue on Sep 7 and again one week later.
“President Xi’s cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie’s novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn’t been seen in public for two weeks,” Emanuel posted last week on X, the former Twitter, using the hashtag #MysteryInBeijingBuilding.
On Thursday he openly questioned whether Beijing authorities have restricted Li’s movements.
“1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn’t been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam,” he posted on his official ambassador account.
“Now: He’s absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy because he was placed on house arrest???…Might be getting crowded in there.”
Li had been due to attend an annual gathering on defence cooperation hosted by Vietnam on its border with China from Sep 7 to Sep 8, but the meeting was postponed after Beijing told Hanoi days before the event that the minister had a “health condition”, two Vietnamese officials said.
Li was appointed to his post in March. He is watched closely by diplomats and other observers because, like Qin, he is also one of China’s five State Councillors, a Cabinet position that ranks higher than a regular minister.
As of Friday morning, Li’s photo and biography were still visible on the website of the Ministry of National Defense.
Source: CNA
