China has erased all mentions of its former foreign minister, Qin Gang, from its official website, raising questions about his whereabouts and the reasons for his sudden removal from office.
Qin was appointed foreign minister in January 2023, but he was replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi, on Tuesday. The Chinese government has not given any explanation for the change, and Qin has not been seen in public since June 25.
The erasure of Qin's name and activities from the Foreign Ministry's website is unprecedented, and it has led to speculation that he may have been purged from the Chinese Communist Party. Some analysts have suggested that Qin may have fallen out of favor with President Xi Jinping, or that he may have been caught up in a power struggle within the party.
Others have pointed out that Qin's removal may be related to his handling of the Ukraine crisis. Qin was one of the most vocal Chinese officials in criticizing the West's response to the crisis, and he may have been seen as too hawkish by the Chinese leadership.
Whatever the reason for Qin's removal, his disappearance and the subsequent erasure of his record are a sign of the growing opacity of Chinese politics under Xi Jinping. The Chinese government has become increasingly intolerant of dissent, and it is now difficult to know what is happening at the highest levels of power.
In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Qin had been "relieved of his duties" for "health reasons." However, the statement did not provide any further details, and it did not explain why Qin's name and activities had been erased from the ministry's website.
The erasure of Qin's record has sparked a wave of speculation about his whereabouts and the reasons for his removal. Some analysts have suggested that Qin may have been purged from the Chinese Communist Party, while others have speculated that he may have fallen out of favor with President Xi Jinping.
Whatever the reason for Qin's removal, his disappearance and the subsequent erasure of his record are a sign of the growing opacity of Chinese politics under Xi Jinping. The Chinese government has become increasingly intolerant of dissent, and it is now difficult to know what is happening at the highest levels of power.
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