Chinese state media reports on Tuesday that the country’s former foreign minister, Wang Yi, is back at work. The decision to remove Qin was made in the People’s Congress Standing Committee, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Qin Gang was appointed foreign minister in December 2022, and has been nicknamed “wolf warriors”, a nickname used for a new generation of Chinese diplomats who hit back with powerful rhetoric against Western criticism of China. Qin Gang answered spontaneous questions from news after a meeting with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, in Oslo, 12 May 2023. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Quickly rose through the ranks Qin went from being a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to bag carrier, before he then became Chinese ambassador to the USA in 2021. He was there for just 17 months before he got the job as foreign minister. Now Qin Gang has been brilliant with his absence for almost four weeks. A meeting with the EU’s foreign minister was cancelled, for no known reason. Just under two weeks ago, he should have been in Indonesia, at a meeting with leaders in South East Asian countries. The Chinese Foreign Ministry then announced that Qin was not going to stand, due to his health. A picture of him in the hospital bed, or reclining in an armchair, could have put an end to the rumour. Instead, the answer to questions about where he has been, why he has not been at work, and when he will return, has been: “No comment”. The alleged scandal has received wide coverage at home and abroad. Here is the program “Critical Blink” on the Taiwanese TV station Dongsen News which deals with the matter. Photo: Screenshot Youtube Rumors abounded Qin Gang is 47 years old. He is married and has one child with his spouse. The mysterious disappearance has caused rumors to abound. Many wonder if it could be true that he has had a mistress and that he may therefore have fallen out of favor with the leader of the country, Xi Jinping. US climate change envoy John Kerry met Wang Yi in Beijing on 18 July. Photo: Florence Lo / Reuters It is still unclear where Qin Gang is. The reason why he has been fired is also not known.
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