Dong succeeded Li as defence minister in December 2023. Li was ousted from his post in October 2023, seven months after taking the job.
It was reported in June this year that Li and his predecessor Wei Fenghe were expelled from the Chinese Communist Party for “serious violations of discipline”, using a euphemism for corruption.
Li was suspected of receiving “huge sums of money” in bribes as well as bribing others, reported state news agency Xinhua.
Wei has disappeared from public view since he was replaced in March 2023 during a planned Cabinet reshuffle.
He was defence minister from 2018 to 2023 and head of the strategic People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force from 2015 to 2017.
Beijing has deepened a crackdown on alleged graft in the armed forces over the past year, with President Xi Jinping this month ordering the military to stamp out corruption and strengthen their “war-preparedness”.
