BEIJING - China named former navy chief Dong Jun as its new defence minister on Dec 29 to replace the last minister, who disappeared from public view four months ago.
The appointment by Chinese lawmakers comes as President Xi Jinping upgrades the military as part of his push to make China a dominant world power, a goal which has alarmed many neighbours.
The role of China's defence minister is to be the public face of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in its engagement with the media and with other armed forces.
A crucial element of his job is to engage with the United States military to lower the risk of conflict over Taiwan and the South China Sea, two flashpoints to which General Dong, 62, is no stranger.
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