Staff Writer
Concerns over the dwindling availability of information in the second-largest economy in the world are being fueled by the mysterious three-week disappearance of China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who is regarded as a rising star in Chinese politics.
Qin’s absence follows a quick ascent in elite Chinese politics, during which he served as US ambassador for less than two years before being promoted to the position of foreign minister in December.
He has kept a full schedule in that capacity. Government records show that the 57-year-old’s prior absence was only eight days lengthy over the Lunar New Year holiday.
Since June 25, when he met with visiting officials from Sri Lanka, Russia, and Vietnam, the former envoy hasn’t been spotted in the media. Since then, Qin has disappeared from official media, and any references to him have been removed from readouts of briefings from the Foreign Ministry.
Major diplomatic events, like an international gathering of foreign ministers last week in Indonesia, have been missed by Qin during his 23-day absence.
When President Xi Jinping met with former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday in Beijing, he was accompanied by Qin’s predecessor Wang Yi and the deputy foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu. John Kerry, a US climate envoy, was welcomed by Wang the following day.
Qin’s health situation is unknown, and China is coming under increasing pressure for its lack of transparency. The second-largest economy in the world restricts access to corporate data, court records, academic publications, and expert networks used by firms, making it difficult for investors to evaluate the state of the economy.
In September, there will be a number of important diplomatic occasions, including the United Nations General Assembly and a summit of the Group of Twenty. China has less than two months to decide who will be its new top diplomat on the international arena.
Hu Xijin, a former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, said on Weibo over the weekend, without mentioning Qin’s circumstance, “There’s something everyone is talking about but can’t be talked about publicly.” “A balance must be struck between maintaining operations and upholding the public’s right to information.”
“Disclosing information would help improve official credibility and convey confidence to the private sector,” the speaker continued.
In “Physical Condition,”
When Qin failed to show up for a scheduled meeting with the top diplomat of the European Union, Joseph Borrell, on July 7, a Politico story mentioned potential health concerns as the reason. This prompted China’s Foreign Ministry to request an explanation from Qin. According to the ministry, it had “not heard about that” problem.
Four days later, officials announced that Qin would skip the ASEAN summit in Jakarta because of a “physical condition,” without going into further detail.
At a briefing on Monday, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, stated that “China’s diplomatic activities are ongoing as usual.” She directed reporters to the ministry’s website, where the former US ambassador is still listed as the foreign minister, when asked if he was still in his position.
On Chinese social media earlier this year, suspicions of Qin’s adulterous liaison with a Chinese television celebrity surfaced. When questioned about a Times of London article on the rumors published on Monday, Mao responded, “I’m unaware of what you said.”
The country’s ruling Communist Party formally forbids cadres from engaging in extramarital relationships, and the disciplinary watchdog frequently accuses senior officials of corruption based on extramarital relationships. However, despite the controversy surrounding an alleged account of a decade-long romance, former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli continued to participate in the leadership convention last year.
Wellness Tips
Qin might only be ill given that China is typically secretive regarding the health status of its officials. When it came to the Covid-19 pandemic, President Xi was the last of the G-20 leaders to disclose his vaccination status, not disclosing it until July 2022.
When Xie Zhenhua, China’s climate ambassador, skipped a panel in February at the Munich Security Conference, a former official standing in for him informed the audience that the Chinese politician was “recovering from Covid.” Days later, in a video presentation at the awards ceremony, Xie expressed regret for being unable to attend in person due to “health reasons.”
John Kerry, the climate envoy for President Joe Biden, later revealed to Foreign Policy magazine that Xie had “a little bit of a stroke” in January and was unable to work for “about a month and a half.” On his health, China has never made an official statement.
In other cases, protracted absences may portend the demise of a career. Before it was revealed that he had been placed under investigation by the nation’s top anti-graft agency, Xiao Yaqing, the former minister of industry and information technology, disappeared from official government readouts and media coverage for 21 days last year.
