Prominent politicians such as Qin Gang are usually photographed or filmed on a daily basis. But the latest photo of China’s foreign minister is one month old. It shows the 57-year-old smiling next to Russia’s deputy foreign minister on June 25. There has been no trace of Qin Gang since then.
Qin Gang, who had a fast-paced career under head of state and party leader Xi Jinping and has been foreign minister since March, should represent China globally as a superpower – but he has now faded from the scene.
Is the minister ill? Is he having an extramarital affair? Or is he under investigation for corruption? The case not only irritates more and more Chinese, representatives of other countries are also wondering how to respond to the disappearance.
China’s top diplomat as a representative
In early July, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was one of the first to sense something was off. A few days before a scheduled meeting with Qin Gang in Beijing, the Chinese suddenly canceled. He also did not participate in a summit meeting of the foreign ministers of the Southeast Asian community of states ASEAN. Instead, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, who is above the foreign minister in the power hierarchy, made the trip.
Wang Yi represented Qin Gang at a number of meetings recently, including this week at a meeting of the BRICS countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in Johannesburg.
“Health reasons”, “no information”
When asked why Qin Gang did not attend the ASEAN meeting, a Beijing Foreign Ministry spokesperson replied that it was not possible for “health reasons”.
At the same time, however, there are speculations that Qin Gang has been taken out of circulation due to an extramarital affair and a baby. When asked about unsubstantiated rumors that he was having an affair with a journalist from Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV channel, a Beijing Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she had “no information” on the matter. However, she did not repeat that Qin Gang was sick. The State Department now routinely says they have “no information” when asked about the boss.
Criticism of the “black box approach”
The minutes of the daily press conference, which is posted on the ministry’s website each evening, highlight questions about Qin Gang. This secrecy is also criticized in China. Beijing’s leadership is taking a “black box approach,” said Wu Qiang, a former professor of politics at renowned Tsinghua University. For him it is already a fact that there is an investigation into the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Everyone is worried about something, but can’t say it publicly,” wrote Hu Xijin, a commenter on the Weibo social network who is also known for his nationalistic tones, after Qin Gang stopped appearing in public.
Disappearances are not uncommon
The case of the Secretary of State is arousing great interest. However, disappearances of senior officials, celebrities and business people are not uncommon in China. It often turns out afterwards that they were involved in investigations or other controversies.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
