Qin Gang: China sacks foreign minister after unexplained absence, reinstates Wang Yi as new foreign minister

Qin Gang, China's foreign minister, who had not been seen in public since June, has been removed from his position. The announcement comes after weeks of speculation and amidst domestic political discussions, marking one of the biggest crises for Chinese President Xi Jinping since his third term began. Wang Yi, who serves as Xi's top foreign policy aide and outranks Qin, has been appointed as the new foreign minister. Wang has been standing in as foreign minister for the past few weeks and has been attending diplomatic activities, including the ongoing BRICS summit in South Africa and meetings with former US secretaries of state. The decision to remove Qin from his post was made at a special session of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, following the convening of the Politburo. Despite widespread rumours and vague statements attributing Qin's absence to "health reasons," Beijing's secretive handling of the situation has drawn criticism, raising concerns about the Chinese government's credibility and decision-making transparency.