It is strange and surreal, even by the standards of the looking-glass world of the Chinese Communist party (CCP). Foreign Minister Qin Gang has disappeared, not seen in public since 25 June and the information vacuum about his whereabouts has inevitably been filled with all manner of rumour about marital infidelity, a love child, and even the dark world of foreign espionage.
First the facts, as far as there are any. Qin, a former ambassador to the United States is a protégé of CCP leader Xi Jinping. He was regarded as a rising star, one of the new generation of aggressive ‘wolf warrior’ diplomats and was appointed foreign minister in December ahead of others who were regarded by China watchers as more senior. He was expected to play a key role in putting relations with the United States back on a more stable footing. His last public appearances were with officials from Sri Lanka and Russia, according to his ministry’s website.
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