Defense Minister Dong Jun is rumored to have been taken away for investigation and has been missing for over a month, failing to attend the Fifth Plenary Session, sparking external concern and speculation about internal power struggles.
After attending and speaking at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum in mid-September, Defense Minister Dong Jun missed the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting and has been out of contact for a month and a half.
The Russian Defense Minister visited China and met with Zhang Shengming, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission. According to protocol, he should have met with the Chinese Defense Minister, but Dong Jun did not attend the meeting, further fueling speculation about his disappearance.
An analysis released by the Brookings Institution on October 23 points out that after the purge of the 44 military members of the CCP Central Committee, only 17 remain in name, with only Defense Minister Dong Jun and Zhang Shengmin still making public appearances.
According to sources from the Beijing military, Defense Minister Dong Jun was taken away from his home about a month ago and is currently assisting in an investigation. The Ministry of National Defense website has also removed his related information and activity videos from 2026.
The Xiangshan Forum opened on September 16, with Defense Minister Dong Jun delivering a keynote address. The official communique highlighted the new security concept, multilateralism, dialogue and consultation, and common security, no longer emphasizing military deterrence in the Taiwan Strait.
On September 15, Defense Minister Dong Jun officially met in Beijing with the defense ministers of six countries — Myanmar, Brunei, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia — and also met with the Secretary-General of ASEAN.
On September 14, Singapore's Ministry of Defence announced that Chan Chun Sing would visit China from September 15 to 17 to attend the Xiangshan Forum, saying the trip was at the invitation of Dong Jun and that he would meet with Dong Jun. As of September 16, Dong Jun had not held formal bilateral talks with Chan Chun Sing; the first to meet Chan Chun Sing was Shi Taifeng.
During the Xiangshan Forum in September 2026, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun did not address the Taiwan issue in his speech, instead warning of high vigilance against hegemonism, militarism, and historical revisionism, pointing the spearhead at Japan, which was quoted and interpreted by multiple media outlets.
Defense Minister Dong Jun attended the August 1 reception in Beijing and delivered a speech. Xinhua's release did not name any current member of the Central Military Commission, saying only that leaders of CMC organs and relevant units stationed in Beijing were in attendance.
Defense Minister Dong Jun, along with the commanders of the Central Theater Command and the Eastern Theater Command and other senior generals and lieutenant generals, appeared in neat formation at the arts gala.
Chinese senior officials went to Cambodia, with public agenda items including cracking down on cross‑border telecom fraud; Wang Yi and Dong Jun attended, while Wang Xiaohong did not join the delegation.
The Financial Times reported that Dong Jun was questioned by a special task force in late 2024 and underwent a preliminary investigation, after which he was not subject to further proceedings.
The Financial Times, citing US officials, reported that Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun is under investigation for corruption.
Belousov visited China for the first time as Russian Defense Minister. Dong Jun held talks with him in Beijing and inspected the honor guard.