Qin Gang, who has not been seen in public since June, has been removed as the country’s foreign minister, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reports.
"Qin’s last public meetings were on June 25, according to the foreign ministry’s website. The ministry blamed “health reasons” for his absence from a south-east Asian regional meeting this month," says 'Financial Times'
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| Qin Gang with US Secy of State Blinken |
His absence has dominated domestic political discussions, and evolved into one of the biggest crises for Chinese President Xi Jinping since his unprecedented third term began last year.
CCTV’s short statement said Wang Yi, who outranks Qin and serves as Xi’s top foreign policy aide, is the new foreign minister.
Wang, the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, has been standing in as foreign minister for the past few weeks, South China Morning Post reported.
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“China’s top legislature voted to appoint Wang Yi as foreign minister … as it convened a session on Tuesday,” the Xinhua news agency reported.
“Qin Gang was removed from the post of foreign minister".
Qin Gang charted a meteoric rise through the brutal world of elite Chinese politics, overtaking more experienced candidates to become Xi Jinping’s foreign minister in March before suddenly disappearing with little explanation.
https://www.ft.com/content/c1163579-643f-4eb3-a01e-3268ef316b40
“It doesn’t really matter for other countries why he’s gone. It’s the fact he has gone that is holding up diplomacy with China,” said Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute, a US think-tank, according to 'Financial Times'.
“The length of time that Qin Gang has been outside of the public eye is extremely uncommon.”
Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, had only been appointed foreign minister in December after serving as China’s ambassador to Washington.
No reason has yet been given for Qin’s departure.
The new foreign minister Wang is an old hand in foreign affaira and he was foreign minister from 2013 to 2022.
He has been serving as director of the foreign affairs arm of the ruling Communist Party, a position which makes him China’s top diplomat.
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