Qin Gang sacked as foreign minister of China, Wang Yi replaces
Total Views |
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was kicked out of office on Tuesday, weeks after he was mysteriously "missing" from public view. Now, Beijing said Qin’s predecessor, Wang Yi, who is currently head of the Communist Party’s foreign affairs commission, will take over as foreign minister.
Wang Yi had previously served as the country’s foreign minister for nearly 10 months.
Qin was last seen in public on June 25, when he met his counterparts from Russia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. His planned meetings since then have either been canceled, or top diplomat Wang has gone in Qin’s place including his meetings for BRICS.
China named veteran diplomat Wang Yi its new foreign minister, removing former rising star Qin Gang after a mysterious one-month absence from duties barely half a year into the job https://t.co/447dIAnsLl pic.twitter.com/t7WPEvsQRC
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 26, 2023
Wang had represented China at diplomatic summits in Jakarta and Johannesburg in place of Qin.
Qin’s removal preceded weeks of silence during which Qin's own ministry refused to provide any information regarding his whereabouts. There has been wild speculation about everything from significant political or personal missteps to a serious sickness.
Considered as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s close aide, Qin had swiftly gained prominence as the spokesperson for the foreign ministry and chief protocol officer, planning many of Xi's abroad trips.
He was appointed Chinese ambassador to the United States in July 2021, however he served in that capacity for only about 18 months before being given the promotion to foreign minister in December. He is one of the youngest authorities in that position at 57 years old.