As China's Defence Minister, Li Shangfu, "mysteriously" went "missing" from public view, the US ambassador to Japan has now questioned whether the Communist regime has placed him under house arrest. Taking to social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, US's Rahm Emanuel claimed that the minister had not seen for the past three weeks and added he did not show up for his trip to Vietnam.
Besides, the Ambassador claimed that the defence minister also did not turn up for a crucial meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy. However, the diplomat did not enclose when and where the meetings were scheduled.
"1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam. Now: He's absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy because he was placed on house arrest???" Emanuel asked on X.
Further, he quoted a popular phrase from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet and wrote, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
"Good news is I heard he’s paid off his mortgage with the Country Garden real estate developers. #MysteryInBeijingBuilding," the Japanese envoy wrote sarcastically.
According to media reports, the Chinese defence minister was last seen in Beijing on August 29 where he could be seen delivering a key-note address at a security forum with African nations. Moreover, a report by The Financial Times claimed that the US government believes that the Chinese minister has been placed under investigation. However, the report did not state the nature of the investigation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang also went missing in June this year
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, a close aide of the President, who is known for his skewering one-liners and punchlines wrapped in metaphors while defending his government, has abruptly disappeared from the public since June 25. This triggered assumptions about his association with the Communist regime. Some Taiwanese, as well as Western media, reported about his alleged "extramarital affairs" with a renowned Hong Kong TV presenter.
When a reporter asked a Chinese spokesperson about his whereabouts during a regular press breifing, he, at first, intended to skip the question, but later, he said that the diplomat was not well. "I have no understanding of the matter," Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said when asked about Qin's alleged affair.
China has a history of disappearance
According to a report by The Times, the diplomat has an extramarital affair with a Hong Kong-based television personality, Fu Xiaotian. As per Asia Sentinel, 40-year-old Xiaotian is suspected to be a double agent and has links with British intelligence.
It was not the first time when the country's prominent people went missing abruptly. Recently, billionaire Jack Ma also disappeared and reappeared after criticising Xi Jinping. However, this is very rare that a top government official went missing in such a way. There is a strong probability that Gang has some health issues but if he is falling into any kind of affairs, it would certainly be a horrible outcome for him.
Also Read: Chinese FM Qin Gang goes missing amid rumours of 'extramarital affair' with TV journalist: Reports
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