The mysterious disappearance of China’s Foreign Minister has triggered widespread speculation about potential investigations and alleged affairs.
After China’s Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, disappeared from the public eye for a month, he was removed from office on Tuesday.
His absence had sparked a storm of speculation that Qin, considered a confidant of President Xi Jinping, had fallen from grace or was subject to an official investigation.
China has remained tight-lipped for weeks about the fate of Qin, who has not been seen in public since June 25 when he met Russia’s deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing.
The ministry had previously said “health reasons” were to blame for Qin’s absence.
But that did little to stem an explosion of rumors online, some of which claimed Qin was under official investigation for an alleged affair with a prominent television anchor.
Qin, considered a confidant of President Xi Jinping, was appointed foreign minister in December 2022. The 57-year-old spent several years at the Chinese embassy in London and is a fluent English speaker.
While serving as ambassador to the United States, Qin stepped up his visibility through public and media appearances in Washington in which he explained the Chinese position. He also previously served as a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry.
His absence had left a vacuum at the top of China’s foreign ministry. A visit to Beijing by the European Union’s foreign policy chief and one by UK’s Foreign Secretary was abruptly called off this month.
Lyne Sammouri, with AFP
