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Former Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe emerges after months of speculation
- The rocket army veteran’s name on a funeral wreath is a small but significant sign in an opaque system where indirect appearances matter
- Wei retired shortly before China’s military purge swept up his successor and senior Rocket Force officials and has been absent for months
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A floral tribute at the funeral of a senior official on Monday suggests China’s former defence chief and rocket army veteran Wei Fenghe may be politically safe, after his absence from state events sparked months of speculation about his fate.
Wei’s name was spotted on a wreath at the funeral of Oyunqemag, 81, who served as vice-chairwoman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee from 2008-2013.
In a prime-time news bulletin on state broadcaster CCTV, Wei’s tribute was visible among those from other former state councillors at the side of the funeral hall, with wreaths from President Xi Jinping and other incumbent officials in the middle.
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Wei, who headed the PLA Rocket Force from its formation on December 31, 2015, as part of Xi’s military overhaul, disappeared from the public eye after his successor, Li Shangfu, was abruptly sacked as defence minister in October last year, without explanation.
Li, who like Wei spent most of his career in the PLA’s rocket wing, was also stripped of his rank as a state councillor and removed from top decision-making body the Central Military Commission (CMC).
Wei’s indirect reappearance indicates he may have escaped the purge of the People’s Liberation Army’s top brass, including commanders of the rocket force – which manages China’s nuclear arsenal – that followed Li’s disgrace.
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