US-sanctioned general becomes China’s new defense minister

On March 12, the National People’s Congress (NPC) approved 65-year-old General Li Shangfu as the new Minister of Defense of China and a member of the State Council. In October 2022, Li became a member of the Central Military Council (CMC) of the CPC Central Committee, the main military body that fully controls the administration of the army (the same composition as the CMC of the PRC, both are headed by CPC Secretary General and Chinese President Xi Jinping).

The Minister of Defense of the PRC is the fourth person in the military hierarchy of the country (after the chairman of the Central Military Commission and his two deputies), since the department does not have direct authority to manage the army and its development. The Ministry of Defense only represents the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the international level and coordinates communications between military and civilian departments.