China on July 25 removed its newly appointed foreign minister Qin Gang, ending speculation about his future after his month-long unexplained absence.
Top diplomat Wang Yi replaced Mr. Qin to become China’s foreign minister, according to state media outlet Xinhua.
Mr. Wang had served as the foreign minister for nearly a decade before being appointed to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Foreign Affairs Commission, a post that outranked the ministerial position in the regime’s opaque political system.
Mr. Qin’s sudden dismissal came after a meteoric rise. Mr. Qin, who was widely seen as Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s protégé, took over the foreign minister’s job in December 2022, becoming one of the youngest officials to hold that position. During the major political reshuffle in March, Mr. Qin was named a state councilor.
The announcement provides no explanation of Mr. Qin’s departure.
As of July 25, Mr. Qin had been completely out of the public eye for a month. The last time Mr. Qin was seen in state media was on June 25, when he welcomed the visiting diplomats from Russia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Since then, he has missed several major meetings, including the gathering of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Indonesia earlier this month.
At first, Wang Wenbin, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, attributed Mr. Qin’s absence only to “health reasons.”
The official silence only fueled speculations. Hong Kong and Taiwan media reports suggested that the reason is an extramarital affair with television anchor Fu Xiaotian. Analysts, meanwhile, pointed to Mr. Wang’s dissatisfaction with Mr. Qin’s work.
Earlier on July 25, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, was once again asked about Mr. Qin during the daily briefing.
“I have no information to offer,” she told reporters. “China’s diplomatic activities are underway as usual.”
By Dorothy Li
