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China has removed Qin Gang as foreign minister less than seven months after he was appointed to the post.
The role will be taken up by the Communist Party’s foreign affairs chief, Wang Yi, who was previously foreign minister.
Mr Qin’s prolonged disappearance from public view – and his ministry’s silence over it – has fuelled furious speculation.
His last known engagements were on 25 June.
Career diplomat known for close ties to Xi, hardcore stance
The 57-year-old former minister studied international politics at a university in Beijing and joined the Chinese Communist Party at the age of 20.
After graduating from university, Qin started his career as a diplomat at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, where he covered European matters and spent many years working at the British embassy.
Qin served a total of more than eight years as a foreign ministry spokesperson before he was promoted to vice foreign minister in 2018. He also served as the head of the protocol bureau.
He was appointed ambassador to the United States in 2021. The following year, he became foreign minister, replacing his predecessor – and now successor – Wang.
Qin was said to be one of President Xi Jinping’s most trusted officials.
Korogi Ichiro, a professor at Kanda University of International Studies said Qin is believed to have been personally close to Xi when he was chief of the protocol bureau.
“Qin had a quick rise to the position of foreign minister, and his appointment over more experienced candidates may have caused some jealousy,” Korogi said.
Qin had become known for aggressive foreign policy.
During talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing in June, Qin directly told Blinken that the bilateral relationship was at its worst since the normalization of diplomatic relations.
China’s then-foreign minister Qin Gang and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold talks in Beijing on June 18.