[🇨🇳] What makes Chinese politicians, businessmen, military personnel, sportsmen go missing.

[Krishna with Flute]

Date of Event: Jan 27, 2025 Source : https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41&q=Chinese+ministers+missing&cvid=f1f5297517d440cb9b60bfe9a98ece7c&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEDSAQkxNjg2NGowajGoAgiwAgE&FORM=ANNTA1&adppc=EDGEDBB&PC=EDGEDBB

There is a long list of missing Chinese Politicians, Businessmen, military personnel. Those who tries to open its mouth against Dictator Xi goes missing in some time. List is going long which came into attention with the disappearance of Jack Ma is still on. There is no end to it.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Disappearance of Ministers Underscores China’s Unpredictability as Xi Tightens Grip​

4 minute read

Qin Gang, China’s minister of foreign affairs, in Berlin on May 9; Li Shangfu, China’s minister of national defense, in Singapore on June 4.Thomas Trutschel—picture-alliance/dpa/AP; Vincent Thian—AP
By Chad de Guzman
September 18, 2023 7:00 AM EDT
General Li Shangfu, China’s defense minister, was last seen in public on Aug. 29, when he gave a nondescript speech at a China-Africa security forum in Beijing. When he conspicuously didn’t show up to an international meeting he was expected to attend in early September, Chinese officials said it was due to a “health condition.” Reports last week suggest he’s actually under investigation for corruption and set to be removed, but a Chinese spokesperson would not confirm such to reporters.

Li’s mysterious absence follows the similar disappearance of China’s former foreign minister Qin Gang, who was last seen in public on June 25 before being unceremoniously replaced from his cabinet post by his predecessor Wang Yi. Qin—who was also initially said to be facing unspecified “health issues” amid intense speculation and rumors of an extramarital affair—has still not reappeared in public.


That two high-profile ministers have gone missing without explanation in a matter of months underscores the opacity and unpredictability of Xi Jinping’s government.

Read More: The World's Future Is in the Hands of Chinese President Xi Jinping


Such a dramatic upheaval among the highest ranks of the Chinese Communist Party is quite unusual, Victor Shih, a professor of political science and director of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California in San Diego, tells TIME. Government officials are extensively vetted before appointments and promotions to ensure stability, and Li and Qin had just been elevated to the State Council, the country’s top administrative body, earlier this year. “You would think that everyone who’s left has already shown that they’re very loyal to [Xi],” Shih says, “or they would not be in senior positions.”

But more than just generating intrigue, the abrupt, unexplained oustings of Li and Qin also threaten, experts say, to further complicate the already difficult challenge of working with China—for foreign businesses and foreign governments alike.


“Businesses do not like uncertainties of any kind,” Chen Gang, deputy director of the East Asia Institute at the National University of Singapore, tells TIME. China’s lack of transparency—the government cut off international access to public data and has stopped publishing a number of national economic indicators, such as the youth unemployment rate—reduces confidence and heightens risk for foreign investors. The looming threat, implied by the sudden apparent removal of two officials who operated in prominent diplomatic roles, that the government could change direction at a moment’s notice exacerbates the uncertainty of doing business with China, Chen says. That said, he adds, many would welcome a shift in China’s current approach to foreign engagement, which has grown increasingly hostile, and the recent cabinet shakeup could be a “window of opportunity” for that to take place.

Read More: China’s Expanded Anti-Espionage Law Threatens Business Consultants and Advisers

But while it’s unclear yet if Xi’s foreign or defense policy will actually change as a result, Drew Thompson, a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, tells TIME, the turnover itself highlights the degree to which Xi has consolidated power and made everyone else in government replaceable.


Even as China’s domestic economy is in turmoil and doubts reportedly linger among CCP elders about Xi’s competence, current Chinese officials are only likely to become even more “afraid of making decisions or speaking out,” says Thompson.

“This presents a tremendous challenge to companies seeking to influence or even inform decision makers in China about the impact of their policies,” he adds. “As foreign interlocutors seek to engage with Chinese counterparts, they’re not engaging with decision makers in the party; they’re engaging with implementers.”

What to Make of China’s Mysteriously Missing Ministers

That two high-profile cabinet members have disappeared without explanation in a matter of months underscores the opacity and unpredictability of Xi Jinping’s government.

time.com

 

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@Jiangnan

 

[Krishna with Flute]

And then there were none’: After Chinese foreign minister, now defence minister goes missing​

The whereabouts of China’s defence minister have been called into question as he has not been seen in public for almost two weeks now.

Rumours about General Li Shangfu going missing from the public eye have come after president Xi Jinping replaced a number of top Chinese government officials, including his foreign minister and two army generals who oversaw the country’s nuclear and missile arsenal.


The government reshuffles, of which the sacking of foreign minister Qin Gang had raised the most eyebrows, has elicited an interesting response from a top US diplomat who likened them to an Agatha Christie novel.


“President Xi’s cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie’s novel ‘And Then There Were None’,” posted Rahm Emanuel, the US envoy to Japan, on Twitter/X. “First, foreign minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the rocket force commanders go missing, and now defence minister Li Shangfu hasn’t been seen in public for two weeks.”

“Who’s going to win this unemployment race? China’s youth or Xi’s cabinet? #MysteryInBeijingBuilding” he said.

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General Li was last seen in public on 29 August, when he delivered a keynote speech at the third China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing.


In the same month, reports emerged that Mr Xi had, in a major reshuffle, replaced two rocket force generals who oversaw the country’s nuclear and missile arsenal.

The two generals – Li Yuchao, chief of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) rocket force unit, and his deputy, Liu Guangbin – have not been seen in public for months.


Similarly, it came to light in July that foreign minister Qin Gang had not been seen in public for more than three weeks.

President Xi's cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen in public for two weeks. Who's going…

— ラーム・エマニュエル駐日米国大使 (@USAmbJapan) September 8, 2023

 

[Krishna with Flute]

The growing list of disappearing and resurfacing Chinese leaders, elites - Times of India

China News: The recent 'disappearance' of China's defence minister, Li Shangfu, is part of a pattern of high-ranking officials and prominent personalities falling

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[Krishna with Flute]

And then there were none’: After Chinese foreign minister, now defence minister goes missing​

‘President Xi’s cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie’s novel’​

​

open image in gallery
Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu delivers his speech at a session of the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security during the International Military-Technical Forum Army-2023 (EPA)
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The whereabouts of China’s defense minister have been called into question as he has not been seen in public for almost two weeks now.

Rumours about General Li Shangfu going missing from the public eye have come after president Xi Jinping replaced a number of top Chinese government officials, including his foreign minister and two army generals who oversaw the country’s nuclear and missile arsenal.


The government reshuffles, of which the sacking of foreign minister Qin Gang had raised the most eyebrows, has elicited an interesting response from a top US diplomat who likened them to an Agatha Christie novel.


“President Xi’s cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie’s novel ‘And Then There Were None’,” posted Rahm Emanuel, the US envoy to Japan, on Twitter/X. “First, foreign minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the rocket force commanders go missing, and now defence minister Li Shangfu hasn’t been seen in public for two weeks.”

“Who’s going to win this unemployment race? China’s youth or Xi’s cabinet? #MysteryInBeijingBuilding” he said.


General Li was last seen in public on 29 August, when he delivered a keynote speech at the third China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing.


In the same month, reports emerged that Mr Xi had, in a major reshuffle, replaced two rocket force generals who oversaw the country’s nuclear and missile arsenal.

The two generals – Li Yuchao, chief of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) rocket force unit, and his deputy, Liu Guangbin – have not been seen in public for months.


Similarly, it came to light in July that foreign minister Qin Gang had not been seen in public for more than three weeks.

President Xi's cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen in public for two weeks. Who's going…

— ラーム・エマニュエル駐日米国大使 (@USAmbJapan) September 8, 2023

Mr Qin was last seen on 25 June when he met visiting officials from Sri Lanka, Russia and Vietnam. Since then, the 57-year-old diplomat, a close confidante of Mr Xi, has not been seen in public amid rumours of his extramarital affair with a TV presenter.


“I have no information to offer,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning was quoted as saying by a reporter from German newspaper Die Presse, on being asked about the rumours.

Mr Qin’s predecessor Wang Yi had then stepped into the senior role.

open image in gallery
China’s former foreign minister Qin Gang as seen on 14 April (AP)
A week after the appointment of new generals to the rocket force that also occurred in July, the South China Morning Post reported the move to be part of a new anti-corruption drive.

“As well as its role in the country’s nuclear deterrent, the rocket force is also an important element in Beijing’s efforts to ramp up the military pressure on Taiwan,” said the SCMP report.

Mr Xi also made comments as recently as on 9 September about maintaining a “high level of integrity and unity of the armed forces, and ensuring the military stays stable and secure”, reported Chinese state-run media Xinhua.

Meanwhile, the defence minister’s absence from the public stage comes after China’s military launched an investigation into corruption cases associated with hardware procurement dating back over five years, Bloomberg reported.

The PLA’s Equipment Development Department identified eight specific concerns it was looking into, including “leaking information on projects and army units” and helping certain companies secure bids.


In August, The Atlantic published a report in which Beijing-based author Michael Schuman wrote, “China’s communist regime has always been opaque. But the more China’s global power rises, the more problematic the Communist Party’s secrecy becomes.”

“Secrecy is the default position of the Communist Party anyway, but it has been put on steroids under Xi,” Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, was quoted as saying.

The growing list of disappearing and resurfacing Chinese leaders, elites - Times of India

China News: The recent 'disappearance' of China's defence minister, Li Shangfu, is part of a pattern of high-ranking officials and prominent personalities falling

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[Krishna with Flute]

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Gravitas

China's J-20 fighter jet designer, top scientist 'missing' amid corruption probe | Gravitas​

byWION Video Team
Updated 21 Jan 2025 23:00 IST
The profiles of two senior executives at China's top aircraft manufacturer, including the J-20 stealth fighter's chief designer, have been removed from the website without explanation. What's more, Hao Zhaoping, AVIC's general manager, and Yang Wei, deputy general manager and lead engineer on the J-20, haven't been seen publicly for months.

China's J-20 fighter jet designer, top scientist 'missing' amid corruption probe | Gravitas

The profiles of two senior executives at China's top aircraft manufacturer, including the J-20 stealth fighter's chief designer, have been removed from the website without explanation. What's more, Hao Zhaoping, AVIC's general manager, and Yang Wei, deputy general manager and lead engineer on...

www.wionews.com

 

[Krishna with Flute]

@Jiangnan

Do not mention him. By mistake, if he says something, he will go missing too.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Communist Party: Mystery deepens over China’s missing president Hu Jintao​

news.com.au
30 Oct, 2022 11:35 AM7 mins to read

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Chinese leader Hu Jintao was pulled from his chair at a Communist Party meeting, since then all mention of the former leader has been blocked on Chinese social media. Video / AP ...
It may have been unscripted. But it was probably inevitable.

Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao was pulled from his chair at the Communist Party’s most significant event in decades. That move now defines Xi Jinping’s crowning moment: nobody stands in his way.

It was the final day of the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress.

It was in the Great Hall of the People on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

It was moments after a secretive meeting cemented the party’s leadership for the next five years.

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Thousands of delegates had gathered. Live broadcast streams were firing up to flash the carefully orchestrated spectacle around the globe.

But even as the news feeds powered up, something strange happened.

Hu, the CCP’s general secretary between 2002 and 2012, had taken his rightful place of honour at the left hand of Chairman Xi. After all, he held Xi’s job before respectfully handing over power in 2012.

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Then two staff members approached, spoke with him, debated with him, then surreptitiously manhandled him out of his chair.

Hu was then, reluctantly, led away.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo / AP
It was shocking to those watching the international feeds as they came online.

Was Hu sick? Was it a purge? Was it a signal to the world?

Since then, all mention of the former leader has been blocked on Chinese social media.

Only two official government news agency tweets have mentioned the incident. And Twitter is banned within China itself.

Xinhua said Hu “insisted on attending the closing session … despite the fact that he has been taking time to recuperate recently. When he was not feeling well during the session, his staff, for his health, accompanied him to a room next to the meeting venue for a rest. Now, he is much better.”

Few believe it.

Hu led the last remaining faction daring to oppose Xi’s absolute rule. And that faction had just been evicted from Beijing’s halls of power.

Unpacking the event


Footage of Hu’s humiliation was not disseminated within China. There were no reports on the incident on Xinhua, Weibo, WeChat or in the People’s Daily.

On Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed international media questions as irrelevant. It didn’t record the questions on its official transcripts.

But international analysts have been keen to understand what is a significant – and sensitive – political incident.

Singapore news channel CNA had captured footage of the moments leading up to Hu’s removal. It offers context, but not understanding.

The moment was set to be momentous.

Behind closed doors just minutes before, Communist Party rules had been cast aside to allow Xi a third term in office. Now he was set to publicly pronounce the names of those who would rule alongside him on the Politburo Standing Committee.


With Xi to Hu’s right, Li Zhanshu – an outgoing member of the Standing Committee – is sitting to his left.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) raises hands with China's third-highest-ranking official, Li Zhanshu, during a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day. Photo / AP
Li reaches over to take a set of papers from the former leader’s hands. He stacks it neatly before putting it back down on the table. He then leans over to speak to 79-year-old Hu.

This happened as international media was allowed to move into the Great Hall to observe proceedings.

Xi appears to impassively watch the exchange before turning away. Outgoing Premier Li Keqiang, sitting to Xi’s right, stares rigidly forward the whole time.

A staff member moves up behind the former leader and grips his chair. Xi waves at the document folders arranged on the table before him as he details what he wants.

The staffer then moves to pick up Hu’s documents and speaks with Li.


Then the staff member tries to lift Hu out of his chair. Hu resists.

A Party official then moves up to help the staffer. Hu stands, but attempts to sit once again. He reaches for the documents in the staffer’s hands.

Eventually, Hu concedes defeat. He reluctantly allows himself to be led away.

But, as he goes, he pauses to say something to Xi. Xi nods and makes a short reply.

Hu then pats outgoing Premier Li’s shoulder. As he is manhandled off the stage, assembled Communist Party officials sit staring forward with stony faces.

Loyalty trumps competence


The Politburo Standing Committee selected at the 20th Party Congress will set and enact policy for the next five years.

It’s supposed to be a representative body of all China’s factions and governing institutions.

It’s now Xi Jinping’s personal power base.

The autocratic leader has stacked the seven-man body with loyal technocrats. He waived the age rule for himself. He expelled others who had yet to serve out their full terms.

It represents the overturning of China’s carefully institutionalised system of power.

Hu Jintao peacefully surrendered power in 2012 after reaching the mandatory retirement age. It was only the second time such a peaceful translation of power had taken place.


Before Jiang Zemin stepped down in favour of Hu in 2002, no leader had left office without dying or being deposed.

When Hu stepped aside for Xi, the editor of the state-run Global Times news service declared on Weibo: “This is the institutionalisation of the transfer of power. Bless China”.

“In the past, social countries were never able to properly resolve transfers of power. Leaders often served until death, leaving the country in turmoil,” Hu Xijin explained in 2012.

“The CCP has successfully solved this issue and achieved consecutive smooth transfers of power,” he said, adding that the process would guarantee “China’s long-term stability and policy continuity”.

“It deserves high praise.”

Hu Xijin has since been forced to step down from his prominent position. But he remains an influential columnist. He’s also changed his tone.


“China will be more united and stable in the next five years,” he tweeted.

“The entire country’s development and progress will be realised on a more solid political foundation. I am sure that a stronger country and a better life await all Chinese people at the end of this five-year period.”

Last week, he blocked all access to his social media comments older than six months.

His old news service, the Global Times, also erased an old 2012 editorial.

“Comrade Hu Jintao’s retirement from all leadership positions was a demonstration of exemplary conduct and noble character. It proves China’s progressive reforms are indeed entering a new stage, winning high admiration and revitalising social confidence in the past two days,” it read.

Beyond Big Brother


Last week, Chairman Xi extended his rule beyond the 10-year limit. He sidelined his opponents. He stacked all leadership positions with loyal followers.

The 69-year-old strongman did not, however, anoint a successor.

That may secure his grip on power, but analysts say it puts China’s political stability at risk.

“History shows very clearly that the problem of succession creates political instability,” says Denmark’s Aarhus University political analyst Jorgen Moller.

Read More​

• Chinese Communist Party: Premier Li Keqiang one of ...
• China's communists fund Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party: ...
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• Questions swirl after China’s former leader Hu Jintao ...

“Back in 2002, it was the first orderly transfer of power since 1949,” he said.

“There was a logic to it, right? There was the retirement rules, seniority.”


It’s a situation not lost on the Chinese public.

It’s just that the consequences are severe if they dare voice it.

A one-person protest on Beijing’s Sitong Bridge caught the world’s attention as the 20th National Congress began to sit earlier this month. An activist strung out two banners challenging “dictator Xi Jinping”.

Delegates applaud as Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo / AP
The Communist Party went so far as to censor “Beijing” from internal social media services to suppress news of the event spreading. The lone perpetrator was quickly arrested.

But, like the lone man standing in front of a column of tanks in 1989 in Tiananmen Square, it was an act that inspired passive resistance.

It isn’t easy under a surveillance state.

Mystery deepens over China’s missing former president Hu Jintao

Hu Jintao was reluctantly led away as Chairman Xi Jinping looked on.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Long list of missing Chinese leaders.

NEW DELHI: The 'disappearance' of China's defence minister L ..

Read more at:
The growing list of disappearing and resurfacing Chinese leaders, elites - Times of India