China sacks defence min after his 2-month absence

China has removed its missing defence minister General Li Shangfu from his ministerial position and as state councillor, Chinese state media said on Tuesday, in the country's second, and rare, top leadership shake-up in three months.

- Sutirtho Patranobis

Besides sacking Li, China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, also voted to remove former foreign minister Qin Gang from his position as state councillor, the reports said. The Chinese government is yet to name Li's successor.

"President Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree on Tuesday to remove Li Shangfu as China's State Councillor and Minister of National Defence, and to remove Qin Gang as State Councillor. Li was also removed as a member of Central Military Commission on Tuesday," the tabloid, Global Times, said in a report on Tuesday.

Qin was sacked as foreign minister and replaced by Wang Yi in July but continued as state councillor, which is a role that holds higher seniority in China's state council or cabinet, until now.