FILE - Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu salutes before delivering his speech on the last day of the 20th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's annual defense and security forum, in Singapore, on June 4, 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/Vincent Thian, File)