2023-07-25 13:53:19
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang visits Oslo, Norway, May 12, 2023. NTB / VIA REUTERS
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who has not been seen in public since June 25, has been relieved of his duties, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday (July 25th). Qin Gang, in office since December 2022, is replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi, reports New China, without giving a reason.
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For nearly a month, Qin Gang’s disappearance has sparked an avalanche of speculation and rumors about his whereabouts. It was his absence from a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Indonesia two weeks ago that raised the first questions. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had justified its non-presence by “health reasons”. But that was not enough to stem the rumors on Chinese social networks.
“There is a subject that everyone is scrutinizing carefully, but which cannot be discussed publicly”modestly wrote Hu Xijin, the influential former editor of the state tabloid Global Timeson the Weibo social network, where he is widely followed. “There has to be a balance between maintaining a good environment for day-to-day business and the right of the general public to know what is going on”, underlined Mr. Hu, known to be usually a defender of the government line. The Foreign Ministry has so far evaded all questions about Qin Gang’s situation.
Considered a trusted man of President Xi Jinping, Mr. Gang was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs at the end of December 2022. Aged 57, this career diplomat, who speaks fluent English, notably spent several years at the Chinese Embassy in London and is a former spokesperson for his ministry, of which he was notably the chief of protocol.
Former Ambassador to the United States
Qin Gang has sometimes been categorized by foreign media as “wolf fighters”, a nickname given to some Chinese diplomats who vehemently retaliate against Western criticism of China. In 2020, he felt that the image of China had deteriorated in Western countries because Europeans and Americans, and in particular their media, had never accepted the political system and the economic rise of the Asian giant.
Having become ambassador to the United States (2021-2022), Qin Gang had gained visibility in this post, multiplying public appearances and statements to the press in order to explain his country’s position on international affairs. After his appointment as minister in December 2022, he has constantly had a very busy schedule, with visits to Africa, Europe, Central Asia and hosting many foreign officials in Beijing.
His absence causes a vacuum at the head of the ministry. A visit to Beijing by the head of European Union foreign policy, Josep Borrell, was suddenly canceled in July. And the Bloomberg news agency claimed on Friday that a visit by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had been postponed due to Qin Gang’s absence.
It is Wang Yi, the real boss of Chinese diplomacy because of his high rank within the Communist Party, who fulfills part of the minister’s obligations in his absence. He occupies a hierarchical position superior to that of Qin Gang, and is thus currently in South Africa to participate in a meeting of the BRICS group.
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The Chinese Foreign Ministry, for its part, assures that China’s diplomatic activity is following its normal course.
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