The announcement about the removal of China’s foreign minister from his post could not have been more perfunctory.
Having not been sighted for a month, Chinese state media finally made an announcement about the fate of Qin Gang.
Chinese state mouthpiece The Global Times reported that the top Chinese legislature removed Mr. Qin from his position as foreign minister.
Rumours about the fate of Mr. Qin have swept the web for weeks.
The most persistent was that Mr. Qin was having an affair with Fu Xiaotian, the high-profile Phoenix television reporter, who, along with her son, has also disappeared.
Phoenix is a state-owned broadcaster with headquarters in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Ms. Fu, who studied at Cambridge, is said to have links with British intelligence.
The disappearance of the Chinese foreign minister and the recent removal of senior Chinese officers in the country’s strategic missile command suggests all is not well in China.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has not denied rumors of an affair between Mr. Qin and Ms. Fu.
There may however be more significant reasons for Mr. Qin’s removal, given it is not uncommon for senior CCP officials to have mistresses.
His apology following the U.S. shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon was viewed dimly by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing and may have led to deeper suspicions about his loyalty.
Mr. Qin had only been in the position for seven months, having been appointed as the Chinese foreign minister on Dec. 30, 2022.
The last time Mr. Qin made a public appearance was on June 25 for meetings with the Russian, Vietnamese, and Sri Lankan foreign ministers, according to media reports.
On July 11, the Chinese foreign ministry announced that Mr. Qin would not attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Indonesia for health reasons.
Mr. Qin was scheduled to visit Australia to participate in the China-Australia Foreign and Strategic Dialogue, which was postponed after he disappeared.
By Kevin Andrews
