The curious case of vanishing Chinese foreign minister: Where is Qin Gang?

Gang's last reported engagement was on June 25, when he held talks with diplomats of Vietnam, Russia and Sri Lanka

Qin Gang, China's foreign minister, has not been seen in public for three weeks now, sparking intense speculations in the country and around the world. Gang is considered one of the trusted aides of Chinese President Xi Jinping and was promoted to the post of foreign minister in December.

According to the New York Times (NYT), he has not made a public appearance in the last three weeks. His last reported engagement was on June 25, when he held talks with diplomats of Vietnam, Russia and Sri Lanka.

QIn Gang was supposed to meet the foreign policy chief of the European Union, but China cancelled the visit. Last week too, he was scheduled to attend a meeting of Southeast Asian countries in Jakarta. But he did not attend the event. Wang Yi, another top Chinese diplomat, attended the meeting in his place.

Gang had delivered rebukes on Washington after the relationship between the two countries plunged to a new low after a suspected Chinese balloon was shot down by the US. Later, according to CNN, he played a key role in stabilising the bilateral relations and restoring communication during US secretary of state Antony Blinken's June visit to Beijing.

The Chinese government has also failed to provide a specific reason for his absence. While cancelling his visit to Jakarta, the government cited "health reasons", as reported by Reuters.

However, it has failed to quell the speculation as to why Gang has not been seen.

The NYT report also stated that according to some commentators, Gang's affair with a television personality might be behind his problems.

Senior Chinese officials have disappeared from public view in the past. In many cases, the Chinese Communist Party later clarified that they were detained for investigations into corruption allegations. According to CNN, "sudden disappearances have become a common feature in Xi's anti-corruption campaign".

Gang was appointed China's ambassador to Washington in July 2021. After 17 months, he was promoted to the post of foreign minister. Before that, Gang served as a foreign ministry spokesman — known for his acerbic barbs — and as a senior protocol officer who organised Chinese leaders' trips abroad, a role that gave him a chance to work closely with Jinping.