China's state-run propaganda newspaper Global Times President Joe Biden on Monday declared “inappropriate” and his administration “disordered” over the secret hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The criticism comes nearly five months after the still-unexplained disappearance of former Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu.
Austin was reportedly hospitalized on January 1 with what the Pentagon described as “complications” from an undisclosed “elective medical procedure.” The Pentagon chief reportedly did not inform President Biden, who was on vacation, of his hospitalization until January 2. Austin also reportedly did not inform National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan or Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, who were also on leave at the time. Exactly who was in charge of the Pentagon while Austin was out remains unclear at the time of his writing. A Pentagon spokesperson claimed that Austin returned to his duties on Friday, when the central military agency first disclosed his hospitalization.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted on Monday that Biden “continues to have full confidence” in Austin despite growing anger in Congress, citing the possibility of serious health complications. They called for his dismissal because he did not disclose that he would be incapacitated due to sex. Adding to the anger are the multiple geopolitical crises currently facing the United States. These include the Shiite Houthi terrorist group's threat to international shipping in the Red Sea, Israel's war with Islamic Jihad group Hamas, and Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. And Chinese threats against the Taiwanese state have become increasingly frequent.
of Global TimesThe Chinese Communist Party's most aggressive English-speaking spokesperson, I got it. He issued a “severe criticism” of Austin for apparently not even informing the president of his hospitalization, and used that to criticize the American republican system in general as “chaotic” and “disorder.”of Global Times Totalitarian communism is regularly advocated as a “harmonious” alternative to the “chaos” of a free society because it abolishes elections and ensures that a single tyrant remains in power indefinitely. are doing.
Proven Liar brings you the latest from the party. https://t.co/4KhgtbBPYJ pic.twitter.com/Xsq18CInA2
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“This event reflected both the disorganized U.S. government and the Department of Defense.” [Department of Defense] Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, said the Biden administration is shirking its responsibilities. Said Monday's Global Times,'' the propaganda station relayed. “It turns out that Biden, as president, cannot even keep track of the whereabouts of his Cabinet members,” the expert said.
Mr. Li is an “expert'' recognized by the Chinese government, and his opinions are regularly published in magazines. Global TimesAustin said former President Donald Trump gave him “new ammunition” to attack Biden in the 2024 presidential election, saying it “criticized the incompetence of his own Cabinet as well as governing the country.” “This has caused genuine discontent.”
After the Pentagon revealed that Austin had been hospitalized, lawmakers said it appeared that even the president was not aware that Austin had been hospitalized and had been facing serious health problems for several days. , accused Mr. Austin.
“When one of the nation's two national military authorities is unable to carry out its mission, military families, members of Congress, and the American people have a right to know the full extent of the situation,” said the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. said. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) said in a statement Saturday, calling on the Pentagon to “immediately” explain the situation to Congress.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called the situation a “shocking breakdown” in Pentagon procedures and demanded “consequences” for those responsible, perhaps starting with Austin.
Former President Trump called for Austin to be “immediately terminated for professional misconduct and dereliction of duty.”
“He's been missing for a week, and no one, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue where he was or might be,” President Trump said. “His performance was poor and he should have been removed from office a long time ago, along with 'General' Mark Milley, for a variety of reasons, but especially his disastrous surrender in Afghanistan, which was probably the most embarrassing moment in our nation's history. !”
The White House indicated that Biden had no intention of firing Austin at press time.
Thought crime! https://t.co/km6TB1ylQf
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 9, 2024
Beijing's attempt to frame Austin's disappearance as a uniquely American problem follows a year in which both China's foreign and defense ministers disappeared without explanation, with their whereabouts unknown at the time of writing. So it remains a mystery. Mr. Austin's counterpart, former Defense Minister Lee Shang-fu, missed major international engagements after just five months in office and disappeared in his final public appearance on August 29. The Chinese government did not comment on the defense minister's two-month disappearance, meaning the ministry had no clear leader at the time, until dictator Xi Jinping sacked Li in late October. It was announced that. Mr. Li's whereabouts and the reason for his dismissal are unknown at the time of writing, but some online reports suggest there may be reason to believe Mr. Xi is involved in corruption.
From October 23 to December 29, when the Chinese Communist Party was in power, China had no known defense minister. announced It was announced that Admiral Dong-joon has been appointed as Minister of Defense. The Chinese government has not disclosed who, if any, was in charge of the ministry at the time.
In 2023, a similar situation occurred at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the public face of the Chinese government. Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, a former ambassador to Washington and considered a hand-picked disciple of Xi Jinping, disappeared on June 25 and also missed important meetings with foreign dignitaries. The Foreign Ministry initially claimed that Mr. Qin was battling unspecified “health problems,” but the Communist Party ultimately announced a month later that he had been removed from office, without offering any explanation as to why. There was none.
Rumors spread on social media controlled by the Chinese regime accused Qin of having an affair with a journalist and potentially giving birth to a child out of wedlock, but the Chinese government never confirmed these rumors. Crucially, the government also did not censor social media sites such as Weibo, which typically moves quickly to silence criticism of government officials it disapproves of. Both Mr. Qin and the journalist involved in this rumor, Mr. Fu Xiaotian of Phoenix TV, do not have Since June. Fu's last social media post was published in April 2023.
Rather than appoint a new foreign minister, Mr. Xi has given the position to Mr. Qin's predecessor as foreign minister, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Party Central Committee, a more powerful title than foreign minister. Gave.
