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China appoints new defense minister — news agency

Dong Jun served as commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army of China Navy since 2021, prior to which he was deputy commander of the PLA's Southern Theater Command since 2017

© Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

BEIJING, December 29. /TASS/. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (China's parliament) has approved the appointment of Dong Jun as defense minister, the Xinhua news agency reported.

"The seventh session of the 14th National People's Congress ended in the afternoon of December 29 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. After voting, the meeting participants decided <...> to appoint Dong Jun as defense minister," the news agency said.

Dong Jun served as commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) Navy since 2021, prior to which he was deputy commander of the PLA's Southern Theater Command since 2017.

On October 24, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress decided to remove Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu from his post. At that point, the general had been out of the public eye for nearly two months: the last time the Chinese defense minister was seen in public was on August 29, when he spoke at the 3rd China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing.

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