Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public for about three weeks, fuelling speculation about his absence and rumours of an extramarital affair.
The 57-year-old did not attend an ASEAN summit in Jakarta last week, with a ministry spokesperson saying on Jul 11 that he is skipping the meetings due to “health reasons”.
According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qin’s last public engagements were with officials from Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Russia in Beijing on Jun 25.
He also held “candid, in-depth and constructive” talks with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Jun 18, amid strained ties between the world’s two largest economies.
He has yet to be seen attending official engagements since. Here’s what is known about Qin Gang and his rise to become China’s foreign minister.
WHO IS QIN GANG?
A trusted aide of President Xi Jinping, Qin was appointed China’s foreign minister in December 2022. The Tianjin native took over the role from top diplomat Wang Yi, who has been the face of Chinese diplomacy since 2013.
Prior to his role as foreign minister, Qin served as China’s ambassador to the United States in 2021.
His stint lasted 17 months, compared with his predecessor Cui Tiankai who held the role for eight years.
Qin has held various positions in China’s foreign ministry, including two runs as ministry spokesman between 2005 and 2014. He also worked closely with Xi when he was chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018.
“WOLF WARRIOR”
As a ministry spokesman, Qin stood out among his peers for being one of the earliest Chinese diplomats to make sharp comments in defence of China’s increasingly assertive foreign policy – what later became known as “wolf warrior” diplomacy.
The “wolf warrior” nickname is given to Chinese diplomats who respond vehemently to Western nations they perceive as hostile.