Qin Gang on June 18 with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
Image: Reuters
China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang was last seen in public on June 25. Now he was deposed by the People’s Congress. His predecessor Wang Yi, who last represented him several times, will also be his successor.
Dhe Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who has not appeared in public for several weeks, has been removed from office. As the state broadcaster CCTV reported, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress voted in favor of it at a meeting on Tuesday.
A reason for the decision was not given on Tuesday. However, it became known that Qin’s predecessor, Wang Yi, is to take over the post again. Wang has headed the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs since this year and has recently represented Qin on several occasions.
The 57-year-old Qin had his last public appointment in Beijing on June 25. Initially, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said when asked that Qin was unable to attend for health reasons. However, there was also speculation about a possible extramarital affair.
Qin is considered a protégé of state and party leader Xi Jinping. He is not the first public figure to suddenly disappear in China. Entrepreneur Jack Ma went into hiding for several months after criticizing the Chinese leadership in 2020. Contact with tennis player Peng Shuai was lost for a long time in 2021 after she made allegations of abuse against a Chinese official.
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