Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu congratulated General of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China Li Shangfu on his appointment as Minister of Defense of the PRC. The text of the telegram was distributed by the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry.
“I express confidence that your activities in this position will contribute to the development of a comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China in the field of military and military-technical cooperation,” Mr. Shoigu said and wished his Chinese colleague health, well-being and success .
At the same time, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry thanked the former Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe for his contribution to strengthening Russian-Chinese military cooperation. According to Mr. Shoigu, cooperation between the PRC and the Russian Federation in the military sphere “has reached a qualitatively new level”, which has become a significant factor in deterring “the aggressive activities of the United States and its henchmen in the Asia-Pacific region.”
The new head of the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Li Shangfu, worked for over 30 years at the Xichang Space Center in Sichuan Province. From 2016-2017, Mr. Li was the Deputy Commander of the PLA Strategic Support Forces, and from 2017-2020, he headed the Training and Supply Department of the Chinese Central Military Council.
Since 2018, Li Shangfu has been under US sanctions, according to Washington, because of his participation in the purchase of Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 systems from Russia. That episode was the first time that the United States imposed sanctions on transactions with the Russian Federation.
The appointment of Li Shangfu as the Minister of Defense of the People’s Republic of China became known on March 12. The rotation was approved at the regular session of the National People’s Congress of China.
For more information regarding personnel changes in the Chinese vertical of power, see Kommersant’s material “All Quiet on the Chinese Front.”
