China replaces missing foreign minister Qin Gang

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China has announced a replacement for Foreign Minister Qin Gang, a month after President Xi Jinping’s former favorite leader disappeared from public view.

China’s official news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday that the country’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress, had ousted Qin and replaced him with Wang Yi, the country’s most senior diplomat, who was his predecessor as minister. The brief statement did not provide further details.

Qin has risen tremendously since his appointment as Chinese ambassador to the US in 2021 to foreign minister in March and a member of China’s cabinet, the State Council.

But on 25 June he suddenly disappeared from public view as he was preparing to attend a meeting of Southeast Asian nations. The government gave little explanation for his absence, except that it was for “health reasons”.

Qin’s sudden disappearance and a lack of explanation from Beijing come as the government seeks to restore talks with Washington and launch an attractive offensive with European countries after years of strained ties.

Wang, 69, is also a member of the 24-member Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and has served as foreign minister for 10 years since 2013.

Qin’s sudden departure soon after starting a third five-year term as leader also exposed risks for Xi. Most of China’s top leadership are close allies of the powerful leader, meaning there is little room for blame in the case of failed policies or personnel decisions.

“You need to see these situations as an opportunity for others to put pressure on Xi Jinping,” said Alex Payet, chief executive of the Serious Group, a consultancy specializing in elite Chinese politics. “So it’s a double loss. It’s someone you’ve chosen, and you cave into the pressure – that’s bad.