China appoints a US-sanctioned general as new defense minister, Reuters reported on Sunday.

General Li Shangfu has been under US sanctions since 2018 for allegedly purchasing SU-35 fighter jets and S-400 anti-air systems from Russia's main defense exporter, Rosoboronexport, in addition to other military hardware.

Attaining a majority of votes in the National People's Congress after being nominated by China's new Premier Li Qiang, Li was officially assigned to the new role as the country's top military diplomat on Sunday.

The Chinese general was the director of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center for more than 3 decades and was named last October a member of China's Central Military Commission, the country's highest military body.

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In the meantime, China retained its central bank chief Yi Gang Sunday in a surprise move, as the country appointed a cabinet focused on fighting economic headwinds.

The Chinese Congress also retained the minister of foreign affairs, Qin Gang, the minister of justice, He Rong, the minister of state security, Chen Yixin, and the minister of public security, Wang Xiaohong. 

Li's appointment comes amid escalated tensions between the US and China, as Washington is attempting to corner the Asian giant by militarizing countries in the Asia-Pacific, such as Japan and South Korea, in addition to establishing an unofficial bloc consisting of the US international allies to restrict Beijing's access to vital technologies such as semiconductors and limiting trade with it.

Earlier this week, China's President Xi Jinping - who was reelected for his third term on Friday - slammed the US for leading a campaign of "containment, encirclement and suppression of China."

In the same context, China's newly appointed Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned this week that a conflict may be "inevitable" between the US and China if the former does not “hit the brake” in its policies toward the latter.

“If the US does not hit the brake but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there will surely be conflict and confrontation,” he said on Tuesday.

On Friday, the United States sanctioned five Chinese companies claiming that they were "responsible for the sale and shipment of thousands of aerospace components, including components that can be used for UAV [unmanned aerial vehicles] applications, to the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA)," US Treasury Department said.

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