FILE - Newly elected Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu takes his oath during a session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 12, 2023. Former Chinese defense minister Li was expelled from the ruling Communist Party and is being investigated for corruption and bribery, the official Xinhua news agency reported Thursday, June 27, 2024. He was removed from office in October 2023 after disappearing from public view for almost two months. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)