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Li Shangfu

The latest news on Li Shangfu, former Chinese defence minister, including political stories and updates.

Born

Feb 1958

Industry

Politics, Military

Job Title

Former Minister of Defense, China

last updated:

7 October, 2024

Deng Zhiping was among five lawmakers removed from the NPC, China’s top legislature, on Friday. Photo: Weibo

China’s military

Deputy commander of China’s army among 5 stripped of lawmaker status in probe

Deng Zhiping, hailed after Vietnam border clashes in ’70s and ’80s, is latest to fall in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign.

14 Sep 2024 - 2:16PMvideocam

China’s third plenum

China eyes bold 10-year tech and economic goals, sets plenum dates

1 Jul 2024 - 10:21AMvideocam

US-China relations

Beijing says Shangri-La meeting of Chinese, US defence chiefs was ‘positive’

31 May 2024 - 8:43PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

China’s top legislative body to discuss ‘appointments and dismissals’

The National People’s Congress Standing Committee signals a further shake-up following the dismissal of senior generals and former defence minister Li Shangfu.

8 Feb 2024 - 6:03PMvideocam

So far Beijing has not explained why Li Shangfu was dismissed as defence minister after just months in the job. Photo: EPA-EFE

China’s military

Ex-Chinese defence minister’s absence from Lunar New Year list sparks questions

Wei’s successor Li Shangfu was abruptly removed from his post last year, along with a number of other senior military figures.

8 Feb 2024 - 4:34PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

Will China’s top legislative body shed new light on fates of sacked ministers?

The National People’s Congress Standing Committee will review the qualifications of ‘certain individual representatives’ next week, state media reports.

19 Dec 2023 - 7:10PMvideocam

US-China relations

US defence secretary to meet Chinese counterpart ‘when that person is named’

Beijing has not had a defence minister since Li Shangfu was removed from the post in October for unknown reasons.

17 Nov 2023 - 7:15AMvideocam

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Indonesia for an Asean conference on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Corruption in China

Editorial | Clarity can help clear air over why Beijing sacked two ministers

Within a few months of their appointments, two important Chinese faces to the world, Qin Gang and Li Shangfu, were gone and no one seems to know why.

26 Oct 2023 - 11:11PM

China’s military

Did China’s top general signal a restart in Beijing’s military diplomacy?

Zhang Youxia, China’s most senior military officer, met Serbia’s defence chief in a sign that the country’s military diplomacy could be normalising.

19 Oct 2023 - 6:46PMvideocam

US-China relations

Chinese general to step in for missing defence minister at security forum

Veteran of Chinese-Vietnamese war General Liu Zhenli will be face of the PLA in meetings with US representatives following unexplained disappearance of minister Li Shangfu, say sources.

13 Oct 2023 - 10:32PMvideocam

The last in-person Xiangshan Forum was held in Beijing in 2019 before being cancelled or held virtually. This year’s forum may host high-level talks between the PLA and the Pentagon, analysts say. Photo: Xinhua

China’s military

China will host Xiangshan Forum, but no word on missing defence chief

Ministry spokesman confirms regional security talks will be held in Beijing from October 29 to 31.

28 Sep 2023 - 7:50PMvideocam

Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu attends the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June. His unexplained absence for a month has fuelled speculation about his fate. Photo: Reuters

China-Africa relations

China says it’s willing to stand with Africa ‘with one heart and one mind’

In address at security forum in Beijing, General Li Shangfu says military cooperation will make the world more stable and predictable.

29 Aug 2023 - 9:00PMvideocam

China’s military

China’s defence chief pushes PLA as force for peace, blames US for ‘chaos’

General Li Shangfu says Chinese military to work closely with partners on hi-tech weapons, counterterrorism and joint drills, while his Russian counterpart praises Beijing’s ‘big, serious’ advancements in weapons at defence expo in Moscow.

16 Aug 2023 - 4:07PMvideocam

China’s military

Chinese military snubbed invite to defence conference, says US admiral

Indo-Pacific Command chief John Aquilino tells Aspen Security Forum that the US had not received a response to the invitation to attend the event in Fiji.

27 Jul 2023 - 6:08AMvideocam

Admiral John Aquilino said the PLA had spurned several attempts to reach out from the Americans. Photo: Getty Images

US-China relations

Opinion | Why the US must revoke sanctions on China’s defence minister – now

While progress has been made on the diplomatic and military front, US-China military-to-military contact remains frozen. US sanction on Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu is a sticking point that must be resolved to avoid the risk of dangerous miscalculations.

19 Jul 2023 - 9:28AMvideocam

US-China relations

US to blame for poor relations, Chinese defence minister tells Kissinger

Li Shangfu warned Kissinger, who played a key role in establishing diplomatic ties, that relations in the 1970s are ‘hovering at the lowest point’ since then.

21 Jul 2023 - 2:18PM

China’s military

China willing to boost military ties with Vietnam, ‘unite closely’

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu tells visiting his Vietnamese counterpart that their military relations are developing well.

27 Jun 2023 - 9:04PMvideocam

China’s military

China and Thailand to expand military ties amid ‘security challenges’

Defence Minister Li Shangfu tells the Royal Thai Army’s commander-in-chief that Beijing is ready for more cooperation.

10 Jun 2023 - 9:00PMvideocam

Chinese and Thai military personnel will take part in more joint drills this year. Photo: EPA

US-China relations

Taiwan ‘biggest risk’ to US-China relations, Beijing’s top US envoy says

Ambassador Xie Feng made the remarks to American business leaders, adding that China has ‘always been open to dialogue’.

8 Jun 2023 - 10:59PMvideocam

Australia

Australia pushes China for ‘strategic explanation’ of military build-up

Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles also made comments that projected the Aukus alliance as a transparent initiative.

4 Jun 2023 - 7:04PMvideocam

China’s military

Shangri-La Dialogue: competing security visions from China and US

‘Bloc politics’ will destabilise the region, Li Shangfu says, a day after Lloyd Austin plays up US alliances.

5 Jun 2023 - 3:16PMvideocam

Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu makes his Shangri-La Dialogue debut on Sunday in Singapore. Photo: dpa

Australia

Shangri-La Dialogue: Australia-China defence ministers meet amid improving bilateral ties

Meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue summit, Australian defence minister Richard Marles and his Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu, discussed the need to get past the rift that had set in under the previous Australian government.

3 Jun 2023 - 10:59PM

Australian and Chinese defence ministers discussed stabilising bilateral relations. Photo: Reuters

China’s military

As China, US defence chiefs arrive for Shangri-La forum, will a meeting happen?

Prospects for bilateral talks still appear slim after the US said China had declined a proposal to meet, and PLA brass confirms Washington’s refusal to lift sanctions on Li as a key reason for the rejection.

2 Jun 2023 - 11:16PM

China’s military

China defence chief’s hard line on Taiwan ‘a message for the region’

Li Shangfu says Beijing will ‘absolutely not’ renounce force against the island, in a meeting with his Singapore counterpart ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

2 Jun 2023 - 1:46PM

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China’s military

China, Singapore agree to work on phone link for ‘high-level’ military talks

Two nations sign memorandum of understanding during meeting between defence chiefs.

1 Jun 2023 - 7:41PM

Chinese defence chief General Li Shangfu (left) and his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen meet in the city state on Thursday. Photo: AFP/Singapore’s Ministry of Defence

China’s military

Why the US and Chinese defence ministers should meet at the Shangri-La Dialogue

US sanctions on Li Shangfu stand in the way but the implications of not talking are too high to ignore.

1 Jun 2023 - 5:53PMvideocam

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US-China relations

China says US must correct ‘mistaken actions’ before top defence chiefs meet

The US had proposed a meeting of defence chiefs Li Shangfu and Lloyd Austin at the Shangri-La Dialogue next week in Singapore.

30 May 2023 - 10:16PMvideocam

131

US-China relations

China still silent on US request for defence chief talks: senior official

Beijing yet to respond to Washington’s request for meeting between Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu and American counterpart Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore next week.

27 May 2023 - 3:18PMvideocam

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