Where is Li Shangfu? China’s Defence Minister goes missing from public view for 2 weeks

China’s Minister of National Defence Li Shangfu has not been seen in “public” for the last two weeks evoking the mysterious disappearance of China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang who was removed from his position on July 25. Li Shangfu was last seen in public on August 29 as he appeared at the China-Africa forum in Beijing, according to South China Morning Post. He hasn't been seen for days now sparking speculations related to his whereabouts, as some questioned if he was ill. 

“President Xi’s cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie’s novel," United States Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel wrote posted on X, formerly Twitter. "Who’s going to win this unemployment race? China’s youth or Xi’s cabinet?  #MysteryInBeijingBuilding,” Emanuel wrote. 

Li's sudden disappearance has brews conspiracy theories

"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," said United States Ambassador to Japan Emanuel, referring to missing commanders of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF).

In August, Defense Minister Shangfu had warned against “playing with fire” as he had hurled warnings against Taiwan in a veiled jab at the United States at a conference in Russia. He had threatened the external democratic forces, saying that attempts to “use Taiwan to contain China,” would “surely end in failure,” state-run news agency Xinhua had reported. His sudden disappearance has brewed conspiracy theories on social media as users wondered where Li Shangfu was. 

China’s Foreign Minister Gang, after a similar absence from public view, was replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Gang has not been seen in public for a month, and his unusually long absence has sparked debate about the mysterious disappearance of the key figures in the People's Republic of China with no explanation or accountability by President Xi Jinping's cabinet. Qin had torn into the Chinese government and Washington with his rebukes after the spy balloon that plunged into US territory was shot down by the US Navy. Days later, he went missing. His case of disappearance evoked discussions about the similar off-the-radar case of Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma who went missing from public view in November 2020 for three months.