While Singapore is reeling with the sudden exit of several politicians, China is dealing with a similar problem. Qin Gang, the China foreign minister, was inexplicably removed after an incredibly short stint.
Here’s what you need to know.
Everything About the Removal of Qin Gang as China’s Foreign Minister
On 25 July 2023, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was removed from his position just seven months after taking up the role.
It was reported that President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order to enact the removal of Qin Gang and replace him with Wang Yi, who was voted into the role by China’s top legislation.
Analysts pointed out that the short notice and the duration of the session suggests that it may be an emergency meeting.
Wang Yi is Qing Gang’s predecessor and had previously held the role between 2013 and 2022.
A fluent Japanese speaker, Mr Wang was instrumental in brokering a surprise peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March 2023 as the head of the CCP Foreign Affairs Commission.
Disappeared From Public Eye For A Month
This comes after Mr Qin disappeared entirely from public view for an entire month.
Mr Qin was last seen in Beijing on 25 June 2023 meeting with officials from Vietnam, Russia and Sri Lanka.
Since then, he had cancelled several meetings and failed to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) meeting held in Indonesia.
Then, the Chinese government said that he was unable to attend meetings due to “health reasons”.
The Meteoric Rise of Qin Gang
Mr Qin rose through the Chinese political ladder extremely fast. Political observers attributed his fast growth to his close relationship with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Due to his fluent English, Mr Qin was able to thrive in the Chinese diplomatic service.
Between 2006 and 2014, he was the foreign ministry spokesperson twice.
Between 2014 and 2018, Qin Gang was the chief protocol officer in the foreign ministry, whose main job was to oversee Mr Xi Jinping’s interactions with foreign leaders.
This was his real break as he came into direct contact with the Chinese president.
Between 2018 and 2021, Mr Qin held the role of vice foreign minister before being appointed as an ambassador to the United States.
While he had expressed his intention and willingness to work with the US back in 2021 after his arrival, relations between both countries did not improve during his tenure or after.
In December 2022, Qin Gang was appointed as the foreign minister, a move that analysts said was likely to stabilise US-China relations.
So why did Qin Gang fall? Well, if you’ve read up to here, take note that what’s coming after this is a rumour.
That’s because the Chinese government is keeping hush-hush about the musical chair situation going on right now.
Unsubstantiated reports have been circulating regarding Mr Qin’s alleged affair with a journalist and having a child out of wedlock.
Mr Qin is currently a married man with one son.
The journalist in question is Fu Xiaotian, a presenter and producer of Talk with World Leaders at Hong Kong media outlet Phoenix TV.
She had reportedly given birth to a baby boy, Er-Kin, in the United States back in November 2022.
On the eve of 19 Mar 2023, Ms Fu had allegedly wished the boy’s father happy birthday.
19 March is reportedly Qin Gang’s birthday.
If this rumour is true, Mr Qin may have fallen out of political favour as the Chinese Communist Party’s rules stated that members cannot have “improper sexual relationship with others”.
There was an instance of a Chinese politician being sent to jail for breaking the rule.
However, other analysts urged against jumping to conclusion.
Qin Gang’s retaining of the position of state councilor, a more senior political role, suggests that this may not be a purge.
Another analyst said this could also mean that he is truly suffering from health problems.