China removes Qin Gang as foreign minister after one-month absence
Qin Gang, China's foreign minister, speaks while holding a copy of the constitution during a news conference in Beijing, China, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
Xi Jinping's Beijing administration appointed China's top diplomat Wang Yi to replace Qin Gang as foreign minister, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported Tuesday, after the latter's one-month absence.
No reason was given for the dismissal.
Qin, 57, made his last public appearance in Beijing on June 25, when he held talks with counterparts from Vietnam, Sri Lanka and key trade partner Russia. He progressively rose up the ranks of Beijing's diplomatic service, including a two-year stint as ambassador to the United States, before being promoted to lead the foreign ministry in December.
Speculation over Qin's longevity in the office mounted after a string of suspensions of public functions he was due to attend. Qin was scheduled to meet European Union foreign policy head Josep Borrell earlier this month, before China informed the EU that the dates were "no longer possible," Reuters reported.
He also failed to attend a July meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) because of unspecified health reasons, a Chinese foreign affairs spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
Qin's dismissal and the appointment of Wang, 69, followed an extraordinary session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee — China's head legislative body.
Source: CNBC
