The investigation into Li relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Reuters was unable to obtain details on which equipment purchases were under scrutiny.
Reuters' detailed examination of the allegations against Li and the timing of the probe is based on interviews with sources who interact regularly with senior Chinese political and defence leaders, and regional officials with close knowledge of Chinese politics. The U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the media reports that U.S. intelligence officials believed Li was under investigation for corruption.
The probe into the minister started shortly after his return from that trip, according to a person in direct contact with the military and two foreign security officials briefed on the case. The probe into Li follows China's unexplained replacement of Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged absence from public view and a shake-up of the leadership of the People's Liberation Army's elite Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional and nuclear missiles. Chinese officials initially said Qin's absence was also due to health reasons.
When asked last month by reporters to comment about the whereabouts of two other former senior military leaders who had not been recently seen in public and if they were under investigation, a Defence Ministry spokesman said the military has"zero-tolerance for corruption", without denying the possibility that they were the subject of a probe.
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