Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun back in public as Xi calls for military stability

Xi stresses need for ‘new round of technology and military revolution’ in warfare during inspection of Information Support Force

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Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun reappears in public on Thursday. Photo: CCTV

Published: 8:09pm, 5 Dec 2024Updated: 12:24am, 6 Dec 2024

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun appeared in public on Thursday for the first time since a report citing former and serving US officials claimed that he was under investigation for corruption.

Dong’s return to the limelight came a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping renewed his call for the military to uphold both stability and loyalty to the Communist Party.

The defence minister appeared in Shanghai at a security forum on the Gulf of Guinea, an area off the coast of West Africa. He conveyed China’s willingness to work closely with the various armed forces in the region to step up maritime cooperation, according to state news agency Xinhua.

A week earlier Beijing dismissed as groundless a report that he was following in the footsteps of two predecessors by coming under a corruption cloud.

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Dong, 63, was appointed to the role last December. He succeeded Li Shangfu, who was ousted after just seven months in the job and expelled from the party for alleged graft. Li’s predecessor Wei Fenghe was also kicked out of the party on corruption allegations.