China on Sunday appointed a US-sanctioned army general as its new Defence Minister, displaying scant regard for Washington's ban on its military personnel.
General Li Shangfu, a Chinese aerospace engineer and General of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for the purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles by China's Equipment Development Department (EDD) in violation of the US sanctions on Russia. The US sanctioned both the EDD and its then director Gen Li.
On Sunday, General Li was confirmed as the new Defence Minister by China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (CPC). He will succeed General Wei Fenghe.
General Li was appointed along with a new set of cabinet ministers for various ministries as part of change of the Chinese government officials every 10 years.
On Saturday, General Li was appointed as a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) - the high command of the Chinese military headed by President Xi Jinping.
The US Department of Defence's 2022 China Military Report described General Li as the general officer who offers technical expertise on military modernisation on space issues to Xi.
"Li's rise reflects the unprecedented development of China's space enterprise since Xi Jinping took power in 2012,” according to the Diplomat magazine.
"It also signals to the world that, against the backdrop of increasingly intensified China-US technological competition, China will continue to prioritize aerospace in its defence modernisation agenda during Xi's third term and beyond," it said.
"General Li Shangfu's appointment represents more consistency in the PLA senior leadership than change. Like Wei Fenghe, who also rose within the PLA under Xi's tenure, Li will continue to be a steward of China's defence modernization programmes, which have received sustained and continuous support of Chinese leaders from Jiang Zemin to Xi Jinping. Moreover, as the highest-ranking state councillor and a CMC member, Li will enjoy direct access to Xi and serve as his key military advisor," it said.
The South China Morning Post reported that Li had spent 31 years working at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwestern China and also served as its director for 10 years. He headed the equipment development department of the Central Military Commission from 2017 to 2022 and previously served as deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force, the publication reported.
The Congress also appointed Wang Xiaohong as the head of public security, and Chen Yixin in charge of state security.
(With PTI inputs.)
