BEIJING/HANOI: Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu abruptly walked out of a meeting with Vietnamese defense leaders last week, three officials with direct knowledge of the matter said, amid questions about his absence of more than two weeks from the public. Li, 65, was scheduled to attend an annual gathering on defense cooperation hosted by Vietnam on its border with China on September 7-8, but the meeting was postponed after Beijing informed Hanoi days before the event that the minister was suffering from a “health problem”, two Vietnamese officials said.
China’s State Council information office, as well as its defense and foreign ministries, did not respond to a request for comment on the event in Vietnam. The Vietnamese embassy in Beijing could not be reached for comment.
The abrupt cancellation of Li’s trip follows China’s unexplained replacement of Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged public absence and a shake-up in government leadership. People’s Liberation ArmyRocket Force’s elite in recent months, moves that have raised questions about the Chinese leadershipdecision making. Li was last seen in Beijing on August 29, giving a speech at a security forum with African countries. Reuters
China’s State Council information office, as well as its defense and foreign ministries, did not respond to a request for comment on the event in Vietnam. The Vietnamese embassy in Beijing could not be reached for comment.
The abrupt cancellation of Li’s trip follows China’s unexplained replacement of Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged public absence and a shake-up in government leadership. People’s Liberation ArmyRocket Force’s elite in recent months, moves that have raised questions about the Chinese leadershipdecision making. Li was last seen in Beijing on August 29, giving a speech at a security forum with African countries. Reuters
