The disappearance of China's defence minister, the latest in a string of&nbsp;upheavals in the country's top ranks, is stoking uncertainty about President Xi Jinping's rule as an internal security clampdown trumps international engagement.

The growing unpredictability could affect the confidence other countries place in the leadership of the world's second-biggest economy, diplomats and analysts say.

Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who has missed meetings including with at least one foreign counterpart since he was last seen in late August, is under investigation in a corruption probe into military procurement, Reuters reported on Friday.

Newly installed Foreign Minister Qin Gang vanished with scant explanation in July, the same month as an abrupt shake-up of the military's elite Rocket Force, which oversees China's nuclear arsenal.

As Xi, China's commander-in-chief has focussed inward, he caused concern among foreign diplomats this month by missing a Group of 20 summit in India, the first time he has skipped the global leaders' gathering in his decade in power.

Faced with the growing uncertainties, some diplomats and analysts are calling for a hard look at the true nature of Xi's regime.

"Clear-eyed assessments are needed - this isn't just a question of whether China is a partner or a competitor, it is a source of economic, political and military risk," said Drew Thompson, a former Pentagon official who is now a scholar at the National University of Singapore.

Due to a lack of transparency surrounding the changes, various explanations were plausible "and this feeds the crisis of confidence that is brewing around China," Thompson said.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

<h2>Proximity isn't patronage</h2>

Regarding Defence Minister Li's disappearance and investigation, a ministry spokeswoman told reporters on Friday she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and Defence Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Since his appointment in March, Li has been the public face of China’s expanding military diplomacy, expressing concern over US&nbsp;military operations during a high-profile security conference in June and visiting Russia and Belarus in August.

He had been expected to host an international security meeting in Beijing in October and represent the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at a meeting in November of regional defence chiefs in Jakarta.

With corruption long permeating China's military and state institutions, some analysts and diplomats believe Xi's anti-graft crackdowns mark political purges across the Communist Party.

"Regardless of the reason... the sense that this could keep happening could have an impact on foreign actors' confidence in engaging with their Chinese counterparts," said Helena Legarda, lead analyst with the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

The Li&nbsp;upheaval&nbsp;is unusual for its speed and its reach into Xi's hand-picked elites.

"This is all so sudden and opaque. One thing we can now see is that proximity does not equate to patronage in Xi's world," said Singapore-based security analyst Alexander Neill, an adjunct fellow with Hawaii's Pacific Forum think-tank.

<h2>Continuity risk</h2>

Although not in a direct command position, Li serves on Xi's seven-person Central Military Commission and is one of China's five state councillors, a cabinet position that outranks regular ministers. Some scholars believe he is close to General Zhang Youxia, who sits above him on the commission and is Xi's closest ally in the PLA.

Li, sanctioned by Washington in 2018 for an arms deal with Russia, shunned a meeting with US&nbsp;Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at Singapore's Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in June, where a handshake marked their closest interaction.

Austin and other US&nbsp;officials are keen to resume high-level talks between the two militaries regional tensions roil. But Beijing counters that it wants Washington to be less assertive in the Asia-Pacific.

Regional envoys say deeper Chinese military diplomacy is vital, particularly with the US&nbsp;but also with other powers, as China increasingly deploys forces around Taiwan - the democratically governed island it claims - and across disputed parts of the East and South China Seas.

If Li's fate "reflects Xi's increasingly inward focus, it is not good for those of us who want greater openness and lines of communications with China's military," said one Asian diplomat.

As the PLA has an unprecedented level of military engagements with Southeast Asian forces this year, the recent swift changes back in Beijing "spur speculation and some concern about the continuity of policy", said political scientist Ja Ian Chong at the National University of Singapore.

"A shake-up of the military at this time is likely to draw attention, given the heightened activity of the PLA near Taiwan and the East China Sea, as well as stepped-up paramilitary activity in the South China Sea, since such actions create a potential risk of accidents, escalation and crises," Chong said. 
&nbsp;

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The disappearance of China's defence minister, the latest in a string of upheavals in the country's top ranks, is stoking uncertainty about President Xi Jinping's rule as an internal security clampdown trumps international engagement.

The disappearance of China's defence minister, the latest in a string of upheavals in the country's top ranks, is stoking uncertainty about President Xi Jinping's rule as an internal security clampdown trumps international engagement. The growing unpredictability could affect the confidence other countries place in the leadership of the world's second-biggest economy, diplomats and analysts say. Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who has missed meetings including with at least one foreign counterpart since he was last seen in late August, is under investigation in a corruption probe into military procurement, Reuters reported on Friday. Newly installed Foreign Minister Qin Gang vanished with scant explanation in July, the same month as an abrupt shake-up of the military's elite Rocket Force, which oversees China's nuclear arsenal. As Xi, China's commander-in-chief has focussed inward, he caused concern among foreign diplomats this month by missing a Group of 20 summit in India, the first time he has skipped the global leaders' gathering in his decade in power. Faced with the growing uncertainties, some diplomats and analysts are calling for a hard look at the true nature of Xi's regime. "Clear-eyed assessments are needed - this isn't just a question of whether China is a partner or a competitor, it is a source of economic, political and military risk," said Drew Thompson, a former Pentagon official who is now a scholar at the National University of Singapore. Due to a lack of transparency surrounding the changes, various explanations were plausible "and this feeds the crisis of confidence that is brewing around China," Thompson said. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. Proximity isn't patronage Regarding Defence Minister Li's disappearance and investigation, a ministry spokeswoman told reporters on Friday she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and Defence Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Since his appointment in March, Li has been the public face of China’s expanding military diplomacy, expressing concern over US military operations during a high-profile security conference in June and visiting Russia and Belarus in August. He had been expected to host an international security meeting in Beijing in October and represent the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at a meeting in November of regional defence chiefs in Jakarta. With corruption long permeating China's military and state institutions, some analysts and diplomats believe Xi's anti-graft crackdowns mark political purges across the Communist Party. "Regardless of the reason... the sense that this could keep happening could have an impact on foreign actors' confidence in engaging with their Chinese counterparts," said Helena Legarda, lead analyst with the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin. The Li upheaval is unusual for its speed and its reach into Xi's hand-picked elites. "This is all so sudden and opaque. One thing we can now see is that proximity does not equate to patronage in Xi's world," said Singapore-based security analyst Alexander Neill, an adjunct fellow with Hawaii's Pacific Forum think-tank. Continuity risk Although not in a direct command position, Li serves on Xi's seven-person Central Military Commission and is one of China's five state councillors, a cabinet position that outranks regular ministers. Some scholars believe he is close to General Zhang Youxia, who sits above him on the commission and is Xi's closest ally in the PLA. Li, sanctioned by Washington in 2018 for an arms deal with Russia, shunned a meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at Singapore's Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in June, where a handshake marked their closest interaction. Austin and other US officials are keen to resume high-level talks between the two militaries regional tensions roil. But Beijing counters that it wants Washington to be less assertive in the Asia-Pacific. Regional envoys say deeper Chinese military diplomacy is vital, particularly with the US but also with other powers, as China increasingly deploys forces around Taiwan - the democratically governed island it claims - and across disputed parts of the East and South China Seas. If Li's fate "reflects Xi's increasingly inward focus, it is not good for those of us who want greater openness and lines of communications with China's military," said one Asian diplomat. As the PLA has an unprecedented level of military engagements with Southeast Asian forces this year, the recent swift changes back in Beijing "spur speculation and some concern about the continuity of policy", said political scientist Ja Ian Chong at the National University of Singapore. "A shake-up of the military at this time is likely to draw attention, given the heightened activity of the PLA near Taiwan and the East China Sea, as well as stepped-up paramilitary activity in the South China Sea, since such actions create a potential risk of accidents, escalation and crises," Chong said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Upheavals in Xi Jinping's world spread concern about China's diplomacy, erode confidence

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday (July 19) that his government would decide how it will address climate change. Citing Chinese state media, a report by The Washington Post said that President Xi did not address his remark to US climate envoy John Kerry, who was in Beijing to revive climate talks between the US and China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday (July 19) that his government would decide how it will address climate change. Citing Chinese state media, a report by The Washington Post said that President Xi did not address his remark to US climate envoy John Kerry, who was in Beijing to revive climate talks between the US and China. Instead, he gathered top officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to set his own environmental agenda without any input from Washington. Xi said that China would pursue its commitments “unswervingly,” but the pathways, intensity, and pace of such efforts “should and must be” determined without outside interference. Speaking to The Washington Post, Li Shuo, a senior policy adviser for Greenpeace East Asia, said that the Chinese president's remarks delivered at the time Kerry was in Beijing were no coincidence. Shuo said Xi showed that China would decide its own path "in achieving carbon goals and will not be ordered about by others." More work needed to build US-China climate relations: Kerry Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, US climate envoy Kerry said that more work was needed to build climate relations between the US and China. "We - our team and the United States administration - came to Beijing in order to unstick what has been stuck since almost last August." "This is our first in-person meeting since that time, and we're here to break new ground," Kerry added. Climate talks between Washington and Beijing were suspended last year following the visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. Kerry also told reporters on Wednesday that despite the hiatus of the last year, the two countries found many points of agreement during three days of cordial but frank discussions, and they planned to work "intensively" in the weeks ahead as they prepare for COP28 climate talks in Dubai. "We are trying to work with China to figure out the path ahead. China is working hard to try to develop some of those new technologies as well as deploy those renewables that will become clean energy in the future. We look forward to working with China to accelerate that," the US climate envoy added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Amid global climate crisis, China says it will deal with climate in its own way

Xi Jinping on Friday (March 10) secured an unprecedented third five-year presidential term in China, further tightening his control as the country faces increasing challenges at home and globally.

Xi Jinping on Friday (March 10) secured an unprecedented third five-year presidential term in China, further tightening his control as the country faces increasing challenges at home and globally. Nearly 3,000 members of Parliament, the National People's Congress, voted unanimously for Xi in an election where there was no other candidate. With this, Xi, 69, has become China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, who founded the People's Republic, the news agency Reuters reported on Friday. He extends his tenure as president amid increasingly adversarial relations with the United States and western countries over Taiwan, China's backing of Russia, trade and human rights. Here's a look at Xi Jinping's political career so far: The beginnings Xi Jinping was born on June 15, 1953, to Xi Zhongxun and Qi Xin. His father, Xi Zhongxun, was a communist revolutionary and a political leader. According to the DW, Zhongxun was purged in 1962 and was then persecuted and jailed during the cultural revolution in China. Xi Jinping had applied to join the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) several times but was rejected due to his father's political history. He was finally accepted as a member of the CCP in 1974, serving as branch secretary and this marked the beginning of his career in politics, according to the DW. From 1975 to 1979, Xi studied chemical engineering at the Tsinghua University. After graduation, he worked as a secretary for Geng Biao, the then-vice premier and minister of national defence in the Chinese government. ALSO READ | Troubled by sanctions, Xi Jinping wants China to be self-reliant in tech, food production But in 1982, Xi gave up this post and started working as the CCP's secretary in the Herbei province. As the years passed, he was elevated to more senior roles such as numerous provincial governor positions and then the party's chief in Shanghai. In contrast to his father, Xi had a reputation for prudence and for following the party line. In October 2007, he was elected as one of the nine members of the standing committee of CCP's political bureau, the highest ruling body in the party. And a year later, Xi Jinping was elected as the vice president of China. As vice president, Xi focused on conservation efforts and improving foreign relations as he visited several countries including the United States, Germany, Turkey and Japan. The president of China On November 15, 2012, Xi Jinping was elected as the general secretary of the CCP and chairman of the Central Military Commission by the 18th Central Committee of the party, which informally made him China's leader. And on March 14, 2013, Xi was officially elected as the country's president. In 2018, China's parliament elected him for a second term and unanimously voted in favour of an amendment to the Constitution that removed presidential term limits. Previously, China had a limit of two terms but the amendment allowed Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely. As president, Xi called for the great rejuvenation of China and for the country to take its due place in the world. However, his leadership has been marked by intolerance for dissent, and a desire to control which has infiltrated almost every aspect of life in modern China. Xi has cracked down on civil society movements, independent media and academic freedoms, overseen alleged human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region, and promoted a far more aggressive foreign policy than his predecessor Hu Jintao. He has also been severely criticised by governments and health organisations for the handling of the Covid pandemic. The 69-year-old Xi has used nationalism as a tool for his own and the CCP's legitimacy among the population. Economic challenges that Xi faces now With Xi securing a third presidential term, he now has to face many economic challenges. China, which is the world's second-largest economy, is facing a tough economic recovery from the three years of the government's zero-Covid policy, a fragile confidence among consumers and businesses and a weak international demand for Chinese exports, a report by the news agency Reuters said. The abrupt ending of the zero-Covid policy led to a spike in infections and deaths. Several regions of China saw their hospitals overburdened by infected patients, a shortage of antiviral medicines and crematoriums being full. In 2022, China's economy grew just three per cent, one of its worst performances in decades. During a parliament session, the government set a modest growth target for this year of just around five per cent. Willy Lam, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a think tank based in the United States, said that in the third term as China's president, Xi Jinping would need to focus on economic revival. "But if he (Xi Jinping) continues with what he has been doing — tighter party and state control over the private sector and confrontation with the West, his prospects for success won't be encouraging," Lam told Reuters. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: Xi Jinping's rule in China extended. A look at his political career so far

Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown is seen as an tool to eliminate rivals. After politicians and the military - The Chinese President has now begun a sweeping clean-up of China's domestic-security apparatus.

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Upheavals in Xi Jinping's world spread concern about China's diplomacy, erode confidence

Amid global climate crisis, China says it will deal with climate in its own way

Explained: Xi Jinping's rule in China extended. A look at his political career so far

Gravitas: China's biggest purge since Mao

Activists from Japan, Taiwan, Tibet unite against Chinese President Xi Jinping