Chinese Missile Troubles: Tanks Filled With Water, Faulty Door Lids Lead to Defense Minister's Replacement, Experts Say

Some military missiles are dangerous and lethal. But some of them may be deceptive duds.

Knewz.com has learned about surprising examples of the latter. They may explain a recent shakeup in the Chinese military.

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu was dismissed in October 2023. By: Twitter/Aadil Brar

Knewz.com reported in late December 2023 that President Xi Jinping named a new Defense Minister. The old one, Li Shangfu, was voted out by the National People’s Congress in October.

U.S. intelligence reports now suggest the reason for the change was corruption. Some missiles that looked threatening turned out to have flaws, making them useless.

In one example, Bloomberg News and Newsweek report someone filled missile fuel tanks with water instead of rocket fuel. The Chinese Rocket Force never could get off the launch pad.

A live-fire rocket test in northwest China in 2014. By: MEGA

In other cases, missile silos in western China had lids which could not open. The weapons would be stuck if they were needed. It’s not clear when the faulty lids were discovered.

While the discoveries might sound like pranks, they may be good news for the U.S. and Taiwan. U.S. intelligence officials think Xi is now less likely to make large military moves.

The corruption reportedly is so bad that Gangnam Times reports China’s defense forces may be hindered for years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a press conference in October 2022. By: MEGA

Xi has spoken with pride of the Chinese Rocket Force. CNN recalled he’s called it the “core of strategic deterrence, a strategic buttress to the country’s position as a major power, and a cornerstone on which to build national security.”

The number of Chinese missile brigades has jumped from 29 to 40 under Xi’s tenure as President.

Despite the shakeup, the Federation of American Scientists believes Xi is not changing his ultimate intentions. He plans three new fields for missile silos in places such as Inner Mongolia and China’s western desert.

Xi’s shakeup in recent weeks goes beyond the Defense Ministry. It could be dated to November 2023, when the commander of the Chinese Rocket Force was fired.

Nine leading officers in the National Liberation Army were removed from seats in Congress at a year-end meeting.

That removal opens the door for those officers to be arrested and prosecuted, as Congressional membership gave them immunity.

Days before that, three executives with a government-run missile company were removed from their government positions.

Li, the former Defense Minister, has not been seen in public since last August. He replaced Wei Fenghe, who disappeared from view after retiring in March 2023.

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe retired in March 2023. China is on its third Defense Minister in a year. By: MEGA

The Chinese government now has a “tip line” for people to report questionable military procurement since 2017.

Beijing also announced sanctions in recent days against five U.S. defense contractors because they have made agreements with Taiwan. Taiwan will hold a presidential election Saturday, January 13.

The U.S. Defense Department estimates China is on a pace to have 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035. Statista estimates it has 410 warheads now.