China’s Defense Minister Has Not Been Seen in Weeks, Fueling Intrigue

News Snapshot:

China’s defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, has not been seen in public in more than two weeks, fueling speculation about further upheaval in the military after the abrupt removal of two top commanders in charge of the country’s nuclear force. General Li’s absence has raised the possibility that he has been placed under an investigation by the Chinese authorities. He had been expected to take part in a meeting last week in Vietnam, but there was no word of his attendance. Asked by reporters on Friday about General Li’s whereabouts, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said...