'Surprise Appointment': China Names Ex-Navy Chief Dong Jun as New Defence Minister

China named former Navy chief Dong Jun as its new defence minister on Friday replacing Li Shangfu who was sacked earlier this year during a series of unexplained dismissals of military and political leaders. The former navy commander's appointment comes at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping upgrades the Chinese army as part of his plans to make China a dominant world power, and shows increasing assertiveness in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. The role of the Chinese defence minister remained unfulfilled for over two months as Li Shangfu was ousted after seven months in the…