China's firing of defense minister: 5 takeaways

Analysts weigh in on unconventional dismissal of Xi's hand-picked official

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army at a ceremony to mark Martyrs' Day in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 30. © Reuters

KEN MORIYASU and RYO NAKAMURA, Nikkei staff writers

October 26, 2023 16:49 JST

WASHINGTON -- Just seven months after being hand-picked by President Xi Jinping, China's Defense Minister and State Councilor, Li Shangfu, was unceremoniously removed from both positions on Tuesday. While the reasons are unclear, analysts are trying to read between the lines to understand what this means for Xi and U.S.-China relations.