China names former missile force commander as new defence minister

Foreign Minister Wang Yi gets promoted to state counselor

Published: March 19, 2018 11:40:18 | Updated: March 20, 2018 12:50:06

Military delegates applaud as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives during a plenary meeting of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday - AP photo

China has appointed a former missile force commander as its new defence minister.

Lt. Gen. Wei Fenghe's naming as the international face of China's rapid military modernisation was among a series of appointments undertaken by the ceremonial legislature on Monday.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi was reappointed to that position and also promoted to state counselor, while Zhao Kezhi was confirmed as minister of public security in charge of the police, reports AP.

Chen Wenqing remains minister of state security responsible for espionage and counterintelligence.

Wei is outranked by President Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, and two vice chairmen, but will be the main interface between China's 2 million-member armed forces and the rest of the world's militaries.