China has mysteriously removed the commander of its missile force, days after it removed its recently appointed foreign minister (FM) in a similar fashion.
Overview
Li Yuchao, a veteran of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force, witnessed an abrupt end to his unusually short stint in the key military post, after his removal was confirmed at a ceremony on Monday — a day before celebrations of the 96th anniversary of the PLA’s founding on Tuesday.
Like former FM Qin Gang, Li had not been seen in public for several months. He was appointed commander in January 2022.
Li, who was appointed commander in January last year, hadn’t been seen in public for several months. His ouster was confirmed at a ceremony a day before China celebrated the 96th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, which fell on Tuesday.https://t.co/oys29n32ym
— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) August 2, 2023
Analysts believe that the move was intended to ensure loyalty to President Xi Jinping in the high-profile wing of the military, which controls nuclear missiles pointed at the US and would play a pivotal role in any likely attempt to forcefully seize Taiwan.
At the same ceremony, Xi formally promoted the PLA Rocket Force’s new commander, Wang Houbin, and its new political commissar, Xu Xisheng, to the rank of general. State-run media reported that both officers were presented with their new rank insignia.
The appointments of Wang and Xu, who have held careers in the navy and air force, respectively, is a departure from Beijing’s longstanding practice of appointing the country’s strategic-missile force under the command of officers with experience in this service.
Remarkable news about China’s rocket forces:
— M. Taylor Fravel (@fravel) July 31, 2023
Its new commander comes from the Chinese navy, not the PLARF.
For the first time since at least 1982, the PLARF commander is an outsider without any previous experience in the service.
Big shake-up.
https://t.co/Jl0xq9bGTu
In a commentary marking the anniversary, the official PLA Daily newspaper urged all military personnel to uphold Xi’s status as the “core” of the Communist Party leadership. It also called on officers to persist with efforts to enforce discipline and fight corruption within the PLA.
Similarity to Qin Gang’s Ouster
The move comes days after the country’s new FM, Qin Gang, was removed from his position after only 207 days in office.
Qin had also not been spotted in public for over a month, before he was removed from the post last week, with the country erasing all mentions of him from the government website.
The news agency did not mention why the diplomat was removed, but said that Xi enacted the decision by signing a presidential order.
China’s former FM Wang Yi returned retook the role in the wake of the ouster.