Advertisement
Former Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe’s absence from Lunar New Year greetings list raises questions over fate
- Wei’s successor Li Shangfu was abruptly removed from his post last year, along with a number of other senior military figures
- Wei was missing from a list of retired senior officials who received a standard greeting to mark the Year of the Dragon
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
24
China’s former defence minister Wei Fenghe was missing from a list of retired senior officials who were sent Lunar New Year greetings by the country’s leadership, raising speculation about his fate following the abrupt removal of his successor last year.
Advertisement
Wei did not attend an official reception to mark National Day last year and was also missing from a list of around 100 figures who were sent greetings to mark the start of the Year of the Dragon – an annual courtesy usually paid to all retired officials of a comparable rank.
Wei’s predecessors as defence minister – Chang Wanquan, Liang Guanglie, Cao Gangchuan and Chi Haotian – were all included in the list published on Wednesday.
There have been no official announcements about Wei, a former commander of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, since he retired last year.
Wei’s successor as defence minister Li Shangfu was abruptly sacked and stripped of his rank as State Councillor with no explanation offered later in the year.
A number of other senior military figures, including rocket force commanders, have also been removed from their positions.
Advertisement
Advertisement