China expels nine army officials from parliament in a sweeping reshuffle

In a sweeping reshuffle, nine military officials were expelled by China from its parliament, which included four generals of the strategic missile unit of the army, after the country's new defence minister was appointed.

The decision, reported by the state news agency Xinhua late on Friday, came after the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party's meeting. The government did not give any explanation regarding the removal of the officials.

The reshuffle is one of the series of high-level restructuring moves in the establishment of the military since China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu was sacked abruptly in October after months of speculation regarding his whereabouts.

Li, who was appointed in March, disappeared in August from public view and was formally dismissed in October.

China on Friday (Dec 29) appointed Dong Jun as the country's new defence minister which brought an end to months-long vacancy in the strategic post.

In recent months, an overhaul was seen in the leadership of China's secretive Rocket Force,army unitoverseeingthe nuclear arsenal of Beijing, after media reports of a corruption investigation which involved its former chief.

The nine military officials who were removed from the National People's Congress on Friday (Dec 29) sat in parliament as non-elected representatives. Their dismissal "suggests that those officers are being probed and confirms some of the rumours circulating on the topic" said US-based SinoInsider, which is a firm specialising in Chinese politics.

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Dong Jun's appointment as Defence Minister

The new defence minister's appointment by Chinese lawmakers comes as the military is getting upgraded by President Xi Jinping as part of his push to turn China into a dominant world power.

China's defence minister becomes the public face of the People's Liberation Army especially in its engagement with the media and other militaries. Unlike other nations, the military has limited say in its management

The ministry, unlike other nations, has little say in military management or defence policy which are the areas that fall under Xi's elite group Central Military Commission's purview. The 62-year-old Dong Jun was most recently holding the post of the People's Liberation Army Navy chief.

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China's defence minister is also required to engage with the United States military to decrease the risk of conflict over the South China Sea and Taiwan, which are two flashpoints that have seen increasing brushes in recent years.

However, during his brief tenure as minister, Li did not hold any meetings with his US counterpart Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. The ministry added that the US would have to first remove the sanctions which were placed on Li in 2018 over his role in buying Russian aircraft and equipment.

(With inputs from agencies)