 Li's predecessor, Wei Fenghe, was hit with similar accusations. Prior to serving as defense minister, Wei had been in charge of China's rocket force, which oversees its growing nuclear arsenal. Last year, other senior officers in the rocket force were removed from their posts. China's former foreign minister, Qin Gang, lost his government job suddenly last year also after just seven months in office, but there was no immediate word about his case. John Ruich, NPR News, Shanghai.