Wang Yi reappointed as Chinese foreign minister: An authoritative figure amid the intrigue

On 25 July, the Chinese authorities removed Qin Gang as foreign minister, with Politburo member and Director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi taking over. This is the first official information about Qin following his one-month absence, and indirectly confirms recent unfavourable rumours about him.

Academics interviewed said that the reappointment of 70-year-old veteran Wang as foreign minister might be a transitional arrangement. The issues surrounding Qin might have caused chaos within China's diplomatic system, and Wang is considered the best candidate to stabilise the situation.

According to Xinhua, the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee held a meeting in Beijing on 25 July, whereby they decided to dismiss Qin as foreign minister and appoint Wang Yi to the position. Yi Gang was also removed as governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), with Pan Gongsheng appointed as the new governor. Chinese President Xi Jinping subsequently signed a presidential decree on these appointments and dismissals.

The appointment of Pan was no surprise, as he had already replaced Guo Shuqing as PBOC party secretary earlier this month. There was speculation that the PBOC would abolish the dual leadership system and have Pan serve as party secretary and governor.

Xinhua's report did not specify the reason for Qin's dismissal, nor did it mention whether the NPC Standing Committee also decided to remove Qin as state councilor.

Analysts said that Qin's dismissal as foreign minister indicates that he is in trouble and is possibly under investigation, rendering him unsuitable to continue as foreign minister. The authorities will decide on the next steps based on what is found.

Fifty-seven-year-old Qin was previously trusted by China's top leadership. He was promoted at the end of last year from Chinese ambassador to the US to foreign minister, the youngest foreign minister since China's reform and opening up. In March of this year, Qin was also appointed as state councilor, making him a state-level deputy and the youngest party and state leader at the time.

On 25 June, Qin met with senior diplomats from Sri Lanka, Russia and Vietnam in Beijing, after which he disappeared from public view and was absent from several important diplomatic events, drawing attention and speculation on his whereabouts.

On 11 July, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference that Qin was unable to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, due to health reasons. However, since then, the Chinese authorities did not disclose any further information about Qin, and even stopped mentioning "health reasons" in relation to his absence.

At the same time, negative rumours about Qin are flying, including an alleged illegitimate child with a TV anchor of a non-mainland-based TV network. But these reports have not been verified by authoritative sources.

Addressing Qin's whereabouts at the Aspen Security Forum on 19 July, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng said, "Well, let's wait and see."

Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), told Lianhe Zaobao that based on the limited information released so far, it is unclear what had happened to Qin. But the way officials are handling the situation shows that "it can almost be confirmed that Qin is involved in relatively serious issues, which most likely isn't health-related," he said.

During Qin's absence, Wang had acted as foreign minister on several diplomatic occasions. Apart from attending a series of ASEAN foreign ministerial meetings, he also attended the BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security meeting in Johannesburg on 24-25 July.

Following the CCP's 20th Party Congress last year, Wang entered the CCP Politburo and succeeded Yang Jiechi to become director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs. Prior to that, he served as the country's foreign minister for a decade.

Analysts noted that Qin's incident happened suddenly at a time when Chinese diplomacy is at a critical juncture. Hence, the foreign minister position cannot be left vacant for too long, and Chinese officials had to appoint a foreign minister as soon as possible. But taking into consideration Wang's age and energy, the arrangement could be a temporary one.

Previously, the outside world had debated that current Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, who holds a full minister rank; and Liu Jianchao, director of the International Liaison Department of the CCP's Central Committee, were the popular candidates to replace Qin.

Associate Professor Li pointed out that when China's upper echelons appoint a new foreign minister, more time is needed to properly consider, investigate and assess relevant candidates.

He believes that it is a relatively reliable arrangement for now to have Wang serve as foreign minister. "[China's] diplomatic system is a little chaotic because of Qin's incident... It now needs an authoritative figure who can stand his ground like Wang Yi to stabilise the situation," Li noted.

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as "王毅再任中国外长 秦刚被免职间接证实不利传闻".

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