The Chinese state media announces Wang Yi as foreign minister amid scandal rumours
The appointment of Wang Yi as China’s next foreign minister was announced by official media on the same day that speculations of a scandal and political tensions surfaced. The official media did not provide an explanation for Qin’s dismissal; nonetheless, it comes after he suddenly disappeared from public view about a month ago, prompting rumours and speculation regarding his private life and political rivals.
BEIJING: China fired Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Tuesday and reappointed senior diplomat Wang Yi to the position, putting an end to the unusually embarrassing spectacle involving a close ally of President Xi Jinping in the tightly controlled Communist nation.
The sudden action, which China’s rubber-stamp parliament’s top decision-making body approved, came as rumours about the whereabouts of Qin, an outspoken diplomat who hasn’t been seen in public for a month, circulated.
A rising star in the Communist Party of China (CPC), Qin, 57, was appointed foreign minister in December of last year, surpassing several superiors. He was one of China’s youngest-ever nominees to the position.
Prior to his promotion, Xi had appointed Qin as China’s ambassador to the US in an effort to normalise Beijing’s strained relations with Washington. Qin abruptly left without giving any explanation as of yet.
Since his meeting with representatives from Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Russia on June 25, the high-profile ambassador has not been spotted in the media.
Wang, Qin’s predecessor who was promoted to the high position of Director of the CPC’s Foreign Affairs Commission in January, was reappointed by the Chinese Parliament.
According to state-run news agency Xinhua, China’s top legislature decided to remove Qin from the position of Foreign Minister and elect Wang, 69, in his place.
It stated that a presidential order was signed by President Xi, who is also the General Secretary of the CPC, to carry out the decision. From 2013 to 2022, Wang served as the country’s foreign minister.
The position of foreign minister, however, is significantly behind that of director of the CPC’s foreign affairs commission in the Chinese political hierarchy. Additionally, he was promoted to the position of State Councillor, the CPC’s highest political position.
Rumours that Qin was ill have been circulating ever since he vanished from view and missed several diplomatic engagements in recent weeks.
In addition to his suspected involvement in corruption cases, later accusations circulated that he was having an affair with a Chinese journalist employed by Phoenix TV in Hong Kong. Journalists have been asking the Chinese Foreign Ministry about Qin’s absence and location for weeks.
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