Beijing

China on Tuesday (July 25) removed Qin Gang as the foreign minister, state broadcaster CCTV reports. His absence from public life since June had fuelled speculations about his whereabouts, reasons for his absence as well as his fate.

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Wang Yi, who is right now attending the BRICS National Security Advisers meet in South Africa, has been named as the new foreign minister.

The shake-up was carried out during a special session of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee on Tuesday, a day after the top decision-making body, the Politburo, convened on Monday.

According to the rules, Qin’s removal as foreign minister is in line with the Organic Law of the National People’s Congress, which came into effect in March 2021, the South China Morning Post reports.

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The rule empowers the Standing Committee rather than a national congress to appoint or remove from office some members of the State Council.

Wang, who was foreign minister from 2013 to 2022, currently serves as director of the foreign affairs arm of the ruling Communist Party, a position which makes him China’s top diplomat. He has been standing in as foreign minister for the past few weeks.

Where is China's missing Foreign Minister? Here's what could have happened to him

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Qin was last seen on June 25

Qin, on the other hand, was last seen in public on June 25, after he met with officials from Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Russia in Beijing.

Also read | Where is Qin Gang? Chinese foreign minister was last seen over three weeks ago

In his last appearance, Qin was seen walking side by side with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, who flew to Beijing to meet with Chinese officials after a short-lived insurrection by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia.

Also read | Still `no information` on absence of foreign minister Qin Gang from public eye, says China

Qin, once seen as a trusted aide of President Xi Jinping, rose through the party ranks, from ministry spokesman and deputy foreign minister in charge of protocol and European affairs to the country’s second-ranking diplomat.

He was once China’s ambassador to the United States in July 2021, and 17 months later was elevated to foreign minister, and then state councillor in March, a position that ranks above a cabinet minister.

(With inputs from agencies)

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