On Friday, China named former Navy chief Dong Jun as its new defence minister, replacing the last minister who disappeared from public view four months ago.
Xi Jinping has appointed the official as part of his efforts to make China a dominant global power, which has alarmed many of China’s neighbors.
The role of the Chinese defence minister is to serve as the public face of the People’s Liberation Army in its interactions with the media and with other armed forces.
In his job, Dong, 62, is responsible for engaging with the United States military to lower the risk of conflict over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
A former vice commander of the East Sea Fleet, the backbone of what is now the Eastern Theatre Command, which is responsible for fighting over Taiwan, which China considers its own, before becoming the chief of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and a full general in 2021.
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Additionally, he held the position of vice commander for the Southern Theatre Command, a company that operates in the South China Sea, which China claims to own the majority of.
“Dong would be familiar with managing near-encounters between Chinese and US military. This is useful when he has to manage crises between both militaries,” said Li Mingjiang, international relations scholar at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
The selection of Dong could be a sign that the Rocket Force and Equipment Development Department is undergoing purges, according to Wen-Ti Sung, a political scientist and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.
The two previous defence ministers, who came from these two forces, have since disappeared from public view.
As of August 25, Li Shangfu has not been seen in public since taking on the position of defence minister in March. Dong replaces Li Shangfu, who was in charge of equipment procurement and research.
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According to Reuters, Li is under investigation for corruption in connection with the development and procurement of equipment.
As of October, Beijing has not explained Li’s disappearance but stripped him of his title as defence minister and state councillor.
The ministry explained that Washington would need to first remove the sanctions that had been imposed on Li for his involvement in purchasing Russian aircraft and equipment during his brief tenure as minister.
As Dong is not known to be subject to US sanctions, he would not be subject to such constraints.
During their meeting in San Francisco last month, President Biden and Xi agreed to resume senior military discussions suspended after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.
