Ousted Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang loses seat in Communist Party inner circle

There continues to be much speculation about the fate of China’s shortest-serving foreign minister, whose disappearance the ministry attributed to “health reasons”.

Qin, 58, was ousted as foreign minister at a special session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee in July last year, just seven months after being promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He was replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi, 70, a member of the 24-member Politburo.

Qin was last seen in public when he met senior diplomats from Russia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka on June 25 last year.

He was then stripped of his position as a state councillor, a position that ranks above a cabinet minister, that October. He was allowed to resign as a NPC member in February ahead of this year’s annual session of the national legislature.

More to follow ...