General Li Shangfu, China's defense minister, hasn't been seen in public for more than two weeks.
Sources in direct contact with the Chinese military said the defense minister was suspected of corruption in procuring military equipment.
A further eight officials from the government's military procurement unit, which General Li led from 2017 to 2022, are under investigation, two sources told Reuters.
AdvertisementAdvertisementIt comes two months after Xi Jinping, China's president, also replaced two of his most senior military commanders who were in charge of the country's nuclear arsenal.
A US official told The Journal that General Li's dismissal indicated problems with Xi's years-long campaign to reform the People's Liberation Army, China's military.
Persons:
Li Shangfu, hasn't, Li, Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Xi Jinping, Li's, it's, Su, yun, General Li, Rahm Emanuel
Organizations:
New York Times, Service, Street Journal, Reuters, The New York Times, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Times, Twitter
Locations:
Wall, Silicon, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan