China has named Dong Jun as its new defense minister, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday, December 29, citing a decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's parliament.
The post had been vacant since the October dismissal of his predecessor Li Shangfu, whose last public appearance was in late August. No reason was ever given for his removal after just seven months in office. Since then, the Defense Ministry has refused to say clearly who is at the head of the world's largest army.
Born in 1961, Dong Jun was promoted to naval commander in August 2021. He was previously deputy head of the Chinese military's Southern Command, whose area of operations is the South China Sea, where territorial disputes rage in Beijing against neighboring countries.
Also read: Article reserved for our subscribers. Beijing continues to militarize the islands of the South China Sea
Surprise action
This action is a surprise. Analysts expected Liu Zhenli, a 59-year-old general and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to become China's new defense minister. He spoke notably last week with his American counterpart, Gen. Charles Q. Brun Jr., during the first high-level talks between military officials from the world's two leading powers in more than a year.
The appointment of the Navy's Dong Jun is “a sign that China views the South China Sea as a new priority area.” Estimates on X (formerly Twitter) Political scientist Wen-Ti Sung, an expert on the region at the Australian National University.
The appointment also comes two weeks before a presidential election in Taiwan, which China considers one of its provinces, and after a reshuffle at the top of China's army unit responsible for strategic missiles, particularly nuclear missiles.
In July, the authorities announced that they would be giving this unit new management, without giving reasons for the change. Media reports then reported a corruption investigation against his former boss, who had not been seen in public for weeks.