Team News Riveting
Beijing, July 25
Qin Gang, who has been “missing” since June, has been removed as China’s foreign minister.
The abrupt announcement of Qin’s removal came after weeks of speculation about his fate. His absence has stirred domestic politics and evolved into one of the biggest crises for Chinese President Xi Jinping since his unprecedented third term began last year.
Qin’s predecessor as state councilor Wang Yi, now director of the CCP’s Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission, will take up his role. Wang is seen as Qin’s top rival. The state-run television said in a statement that Wang Yi, who outranks Qin and serves as Xi’s top foreign policy aide, would be the new foreign minister.
Qin has not been seen in public since late June when he met senior diplomats from Russia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Wang, the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, has been standing in as foreign minister for the past few weeks. He has been attending a series of diplomatic activities including the Brics summit under way in South Africa and meetings with former US secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and John Kerry in China last week.
Wang was China’s foreign minister in Xi’s first and second term before Qin was promoted in December. Qin was Chinese Ambassador to the US for a long time. Even as the entire world was concerned to know about his whereabouts, Chinese authorities clarified that the 57-year-old leader had been ailing.
However, speculation as to reasons for his absence from public engagements include “punishment” for political reasons or because of an extra-marital affair.
