United States Questions About China’s Defence Minister Missing, Asks -“Was Placed On House Arrest?”

In a social media post on Friday, the US ambassador to Japan questioned whether China’s defence minister had been placed under house arrest, adding to the mystery surrounding the state councilor’s two-week disappearance from public view.

Rahm Emanuel tweeted, “As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” 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. 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. The good news is I heard he’s paid off his mortgage with the Country Garden real estate developers. #MysteryInBeijingBuilding”, through his official ‘X’ handle.

Requests for a response from China’s foreign and defence ministries were not immediately responded to. The United States Embassy in Tokyo said it had no immediate response.

Li Shangfu had unexpectedly withdrawn from a meeting with Vietnamese defence authorities last week.

He was last spotted in Beijing on August 29th, giving a keynote talk at an African security event.

According to three US officials and two persons briefed on the intelligence, the US government believes Li has been placed under investigation. The nature of the probe was not stated.

The stalemate surrounding Li follows China’s unexplained replacement of its foreign minister, Qin Gang, in July after an extended absence from public view, as well as a recent shake-up in the leadership of the People’s Liberation Army’s elite Rocket Force.

Analysts and diplomats have highlighted concerns about China’s leadership’s lack of transparency and unpredictable decision-making.

Li, who was appointed in March, is also one of China’s five state councilors, a cabinet position that is higher in rank than that of a regular minister.

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