Dong replaces Li Shangfu, who was fired four months ago and disappeared from the public eye.

China has named former navy chief Dong Jun as its new defense minister after months of uncertainty following his predecessor’s dismissal for reasons still unknown.

The official removal of Li Shangfu, of the former defense minister, was only announced in October. Li has not been seen in public since late August.

State news agency Xinhua announced Dong’s appointment at a meeting of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress on Friday and did not give reasons for the change or Li’s current whereabouts.

Dong, 62, is taking on the largely ceremonial role at a time when the United States has done so increased his efforts Strengthening diplomatic and defense ties in the Asia-Pacific region as part of a campaign to compete with China.

While Dong will be the public face of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) when dealing with the media and other military officials, his ministry will have little influence on defense policy or military management.

These critical areas fall under the purview of the Central Military Commission, an elite group led by President Xi Jinping.

A key element of his role will be to work with the U.S. military to reduce the risk of conflict Taiwan and that South China Sea.

China has increased military pressure on the democratically ruled island of Taiwan, which it claims in full ahead of next month’s presidential and legislative elections.

Before becoming the PLA’s naval chief and becoming a general general in 2021, Dong served as vice commander of the East Sea Fleet, the backbone of today’s Eastern Theater Command – the main force responsible for the fighting over Taiwan.

He also served as deputy commander of the Southern Theater Command, which operates in the disputed South China Sea – claimed by China, much to the anger of neighboring Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia.

Li became defense minister in March and was considered a Xi loyalist. Speculation about the reason for his and Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s ouster in July ranged from corruption allegations to espionage suspicions.

The US imposed sanctions on Li in 2018 over arms purchases from Russia, including Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.

The fight against alleged corruption has long been a central theme of Xi’s rule.

China’s opaque political and legal systems and lack of information surrounding the removals of defense and foreign ministers have led some to question whether they were due to corruption or disputes with influential figures.

Last year, former industry minister Xiao Yaqing disappeared from public view for almost a month before it was revealed he was under investigation for corruption.

Recent months have also seen a renewal in the leadership of China’s secretive Rocket Force, the army unit that oversees Beijing’s nuclear arsenal, following media coverage of a corruption investigation into its former chief.