ISLAMABAD

China on Friday tapped former navy commander Dong Jun as the country’s new defense minister, a position vacant since Beijing unceremoniously removed Gen. Li Shangfu in October.

The appointment of Dong, 62, was made by the Standing Committee, top lawmaking body of China’s National People’s Congress, after its weeklong session in Beijing.

Dong’s appointment came few days after President Xi Jinping on Monday promoted Wang Wenquan and Hu Zhongming to the rank of general in the military.

In the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA), general is the highest rank for officers in active service.

Wang is the political commissar for the PLA’s Southern Theater Command.

Naval commander picked as defense minister for 1st time

Hu, a submarine expert, was tapped as the new commander of the PLA navy, which holds significant role in China’s military given its tasks in the disputed South China Sea as well as maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait.

China observers believe it is the first time any Chinese naval commander has been picked as defense minister, whose role is specific to military diplomacy.

The position fell vacant after China removed Li in October. He has not been seen in public since late August.

Born in 1961, Dong joined the PLA navy in 1978.

He served in various positions including the head of the military training department of the PLA Naval Command and the deputy chief of staff of Beihai fleet.

In 2013, he was appointed as deputy commander of East Sea fleet, later he also served as deputy chief of staff of the PLA Navy.

In 2017, he was promoted as deputy commander of Southern Theater Command of the PLA.

Before becoming the navy’s top commander in 2021, he served in the Northern Sea Fleet, now a regular player in joint drills with the Russian navy, the Eastern Sea Fleet, which focuses on maritime engagement with Japan, as well as the Southern Command Theatre, which oversees the disputed South China Sea.

Dong is not a state councilor, a rank above Cabinet minister, decided by the National People’s Congress, which is set to meet early March next year.

The defense minister is a nominal position in China’s governance structure, who specifically conducts military diplomacy, meeting visiting military officials, and representing China overseas.

Operational command of China’s military lies in the hands of the Central Military Commission headed by Xi himself.

Dong is also not a member of the commission yet.

China seeing South China Sea as new priority: Observer

According to a China observer and political scientist, Wen-Ti Sung, “(Dong Jun’s) appointment, plus the elevation of this new crop of top military officers with Navy and South China Sea experience is a sign of China seeing the South China Sea as a new priority area of geopolitical contestation between China and the US.”

“Domestically, on personnel tradition, choosing Dong Jun as new defense minister also follows existing tradition of appointing non-army generals to lead China’s military diplomacy,” Wen-Ti wrote on X.

He added that picking someone from navy to lead the Defense Ministry “may be a sign” that purges or investigations are still going on in PLA Rocket Force and General Armament Department which have seen several top officials removed over alleged corruption.

The two departments are “usual favorites” for Beijing to pick officials as defense minister, Wen-Ti argued.

While Beijing has offered no explanation as why former Defense Minister Li was removed, corruption has not been ruled out.

He earlier was the director of military equipment procurement department.

According to NPC Observer, an independent platform which regularly translates official Chinese developments on its website and social media platform X, China’s top legislature Friday also announced dismissal of nine high-ranking military officials as delegates to the National People’s Congress.

It includes one from the Joint Staff Department, two from the Equipment Development Department, one from the navy, one from the Air Force, and four from the Rocket Force.

Nevertheless, appointment of Dong is significant as China and the US resume top military communication as the two sides have seen close air and sea engagement south of Chinese mainland.

*Riyaz ul Khaliq in Istanbul contributed to this story