In first remarks post abrupt Chinese foreign ministry shake-up Wang Yi pledges to ‘defend sovereignty’

Days after assuming charge as the Foreign Minister of China, top diplomat Wang Yi pledged to “resolutely guard” Chinese sovereignty and security.

These were Wang Yi’s first remarks on Friday (July 28) after he was brought back to his old job following the mysterious disappearance and sacking of his predecessor Qin Gang — a close aide of President Xi Jinping who hasn’t been seen in public since June.

“We will unite more closely around the Communist Party’s Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core,” the 69-year-old said in a message, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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Wang Yi reinstated

Last year, Wang Yi was promoted to foreign affairs chief ofChina’s ruling Communist Party, making him the country’s No 1 diplomat. He served as the foreign minister for nearly a decade before being succeeded by Qin in December.

In Qin’s unannounced absence, Wang has been filling his shoes before the formal announcement was made.

China would “firmly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace” and actively take part in the reform of global governance, Wang said in his statement, while pledging to expand partnerships with countries around the world.

“[China will] resolutely safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests” and “fully protect” the rights of Chinese citizens, he said.

No word on Qin Gang

So, far no official explanation has been given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the sudden shake-up, nor any reports have emerged about Qin’s whereabouts.

In July, the foreign ministry had attributed his absence in early July to unspecified “health reasons” but subsequently said it had “no information” on the matter.

After Qin’s abrupt dismissal, records of his public engagements were reportedly swiftly taken down from the foreign ministry’s website.

Information on his meetings with foreign officials reappeared on the website on Friday, including his last recorded engagements on June 25 – when he met diplomats from Russia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. As of Friday afternoon, Qin’s name was still missing from the list of previous foreign ministers.

But experts believe that the move to reinstate Wang was typical of “Beijing’s playbook” – to entrust members of its top decision-making body, the Politburo, to steer the party through a political crisis, the SCMP reported.

Wang’s reappointment makes him one of China’s most powerful foreign ministers in decades and the first Politburo member since Qian Qichen to hold the position.

(With inputs from agencies)

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