Qin Gang has not appeared in public since June 25. In official engagements, the former ambassador to Washington has been replaced by the head of the Party’s Foreign Department, Wang Yi. Officials give vague answers when referring to the whereabouts of the minister. Rumors circulate that he is being investigated for issues of his private life.
Beijing ( / Agencies) – Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has disappeared from the radar: his whereabouts have been unknown since June 25. His last public appearance was at two official meetings with his counterparts from Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Health reasons had been cited to justify his absence from meetings scheduled on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit – held last week in Jakarta – but they subsequently disappeared from the official transcript of the press conference.
In recent days, taking his place at official engagements was Wang Yi, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs department, the true strongman of Beijing diplomacy. However, as the days go by, the responses from the Chinese apparatus regarding the whereabouts of the Qin Gang are increasingly imprecise. The situation arouses suspicions about the political destiny of the former ambassador in Washington, 57, foreign minister since December 30 and until yesterday considered one of the main exponents of the so-called “wolf warriors”, the combative diplomats determined to make in the face of criticism against Beijing.
One of the hypotheses that has circulated in recent hours comes from the Times of London and would be related to the private life of Qin Gang. The British newspaper maintains that according to rumors – “widespread” in China – the politician is being investigated for having maintained a affaire with a Hong Kong journalist who worked for Phoenix TV during his tenure as ambassador to Washington. Beijing Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she would not comment on these reports.
