China replaces foreign minister after mysterious absence

BEIJING: China named veteran diplomat Wang Yi its new foreign minister on Tuesday, removing former rising star Qin Gang after a mysterious one-month absence from duties barely half a year into the job.

Qin, 57, a former aide to President Xi Jinping and envoy to the United States, took over the ministry in December but has not been seen in public since June 25 when he met visiting diplomats in Beijing.

The ministry has said he was off work for health reasons but gave no details, sparking speculation and drawing attention to the secrecy often surrounding China’s Communist leadership and decision making. 

Qin’s successor Wang, 69, was also his predecessor, holding the post from 2013-2022 as ties frayed with rival superpower the United States to a point Beijing described as an all-time low.

He has filled in for Qin during his absence and represented China at a national security advisers’ meeting of BRICS countries in Johannesburg, South Africa this week.

State media did not report why Qin was removed from office and China’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Xi signed a presidential order to make the decision effective, state news agency Xinhua reported. 

“The lack of an explanation opens more questions than provides answers,” said Ja Ian Chong, associate professor of political science at National University of Singapore.

“It also underscores the opacity and unpredictability, even arbitrariness in the current political system.”

It is not the first time there has been an unexplained absence of officials in China.

Industry minister Xiao Yaqing disappeared from public view for nearly a month last year before it was revealed he was being investigated for corruption.