China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was ‘missing’ for a month, was sacked; Wang Yi replaced him

Beijing: China fired Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Tuesday after a month-long absence from public duties, replacing him with his predecessor Wang Yi, state media said, after weeks of speculation about what had happened to him. Qin, 57, who took office only in December after a brief stint as envoy to the United States, had not been seen in public since meeting with diplomats in Beijing on June 25.

After missing an international diplomatic summit in Indonesia, his ministry later said he was away from work for unspecified health reasons, but a lack of detailed information fueled speculation.

It has also deepened doubts about transparency and decision-making among the country’s organized leadership, analysts and diplomats said.

cre trending stories

Wang, 69, who replaced Qin during his absence, is reprising his role between 2018 and 2022.

China’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the reasons behind the change.

It comes amid a flurry of international engagements and strained relations with rival superpower the United States, which Beijing has described as at its lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Ukraine and Beijing, the world’s two largest economies, are at loggerheads over issues including close ties with Moscow, trade and technology disputes and Taiwan, the democratic, self-governing island that Beijing claims.