CHINA today refused to explain why defence minister Li Shangfu was removed from office, a day after he was fired following weeks out of the public eye.

In a major reshuffle of top leadership, Beijing announced yesterday Li and ousted ex-foreign minister Qin Gang had been removed from the cabinet.

No explanation was given for their removal.

When asked about the firings today, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told journalists she did not have “any other information to provide”.

Mao instead referred the media to state news agency Xinhua, which provided no information about the duo’s removal from office.

“If you’re concerned about whether China is transparent, what I can say is that we release information on all appointments and removals of personnel in a timely manner,” she said.

Both Qin and Li were believed by experts to have been personally selected for their roles by President Xi Jinping. – AFP, October 25, 2023.