The China Thread

[Crazy_Ivan80]

I wonder, now with Trump, if we'll have a reverse Nixon-event. Given that this is the dumbest timeline it might just happen

[Syt]

"Only Xi could go to Washington?"

[The Minsky Moment]

China going through defense ministers at a rapid pace:

As the article indicates, the position is not significant because the military is under party control.

Of the two predecessors that were also purged, one used to head up China's strategic and tactical missile forces, the other was in charge of the Equipment Development Department of the CMC. Dong commanded the naval forces.

The link here seems to be defense procurement. The missile and naval forces have been showered with funds to modernize and expand platforms and equipment. The "Equipment Development Department" oversees and coordinates defense procurement.  These ministers may have had little or no substantive authority over military command as defense ministers, but they all were deeply connected into the Chinese defense procurement process.