Li Shangfu: US-sanctioned aerospace skilled turns into China’s new defence minister

China has named a US-sanctioned common as its new defence minister in a call that would spell extra difficulties for already strained US-China ties.

Li Shangfu, an aerospace skilled, was voted unanimously by the nation’s rubber-stamp parliament, the Nationwide Folks’s Congress, on Sunday to interchange outgoing defence chief Wei Fenghe.

Mr Li, 65, was sanctioned by the US State Division in 2018 for buying Russian weapons, together with 10 Su-35 fight plane and tools associated to the S-400 surface-to-air missile system.

He took cost amid a stark warning by overseas minister Qin Gang through which he mentioned there “will certainly be battle” with the US until it modifications course.

The most recent appointment is a part of a significant cupboard reshuffle by Xi Jinping, who was formally given an unprecedented third time period as president.

Specialists mentioned the sanctions slapped on the brand new defence minister should not a deal breaker for future conferences, however add a possible complication that would present China‘s army management with leverage.

Whereas China’s defence minister wields little energy and the publish is considered as largely diplomatic and ceremonial, his actions shall be carefully watched by the US and its allies due to his previous historical past with Washington.

An aerospace engineer by occupation, Mr Li has labored on China‘s satellite tv for pc programme. His credentials embrace the modernisation effort of the Folks’s Liberation Military (PLA) and accelerating the event of China’s area and cyber warfare capabilities.

James Char, a safety scholar at Singapore’s S Rajaratnam Faculty of Worldwide Research, instructed Reuters he might play a key function in president Xi Jinping’s objectives to develop into “a world-class army”.

“The operational and technological background of the following Chinese language defence minister is particularly pertinent provided that the PLA goals to develop into a world-class army by 2049,” Mr Char mentioned.

In 2016, he was named deputy commander of the PLA’s Strategic Help Drive, an elite physique tasked with the event of area and cyber warfare capabilities. He was later appointed head of the Gear Growth Division of the Central Army Fee, China‘s governing defence physique headed by Mr Xi.

Talking about Mr Li’s rise to the highest defence publish, Pentagon spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Marty Meiners mentioned the US army couldn’t touch upon media experiences of modifications in China’s management.

He mentioned the US had been clear in wanting to keep up communications with the PLA. “Open strains of communication may also help us handle danger, keep away from miscalculation, and responsibly handle competitors,” Mr Meiners mentioned.

Different senior appointments included the induction of 4 new vice premiers: Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing and Liu Guozhong.

The vice premiers had been appointed on the nomination of recent premier Li Qiang and can serve on the State Council, the physique tasked with reviving of the Chinese language financial system.

In one other main reshuffle, China unexpectedly retained its central financial institution governor and finance minister.

Mr Xi broke with conference to retain Yi Gang, 65, as governor of the Folks’s Financial institution of China and Liu Kun, 66, as finance minister.

Each males have reached the official retirement age of 65.

Extra reporting by businesses