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The announcement was the first time either of the two – who had both been in military positions outside the Rocket Force – were named as the force’s leadership. Beijing gave no reason for the change, making the case yet another example of the lack of transparency in China’s political system. The newly appointed Rocket Force leadership both previously held deputy positions in other parts of the military. New missile silosThe leadership change comes as evidence points to an expanding Chinese nuclear force – creating an even more important role for the Rocket Force, which until 2016 was known as the PLA Second Artillery Force. They are responsible for handling and delivering China’s nuclear weapons,” said Drew Thompson, a senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Wang Houbin, Xu Xisheng, Li Yuchao, Qin Gang, Li, Xu Zhongbo, Xu, China’s, ”, Yun Sun, Li Gang, Xi, “, Qin, Wang Yi, Carl Schuster, “ Xi, ” Schuster, Wang, Neil Thomas, Roderick Lee, Drew Thompson, Lee, ” Thompson Organizations: CNN, Liberation Army Rocket Force, Rocket Force, Xinhua, Communist Party, Stimson, Communist Party’s, Military Commission, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, PLA Navy, Southern Theater Command, Asia Society, Center for, USAF Air University China Aerospace Studies, ” CNN, China’s Ministry of Defense, PLA Second Artillery Force, US Defense Department, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore, “ Locations: China, Suzhou, Taiwan, Washington, Beijing, Xinhua, Hawaii, Center for China, United States

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi poses as he meets Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (not seen) in Ankara, Turkey, July 26, 2023. Stringer/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The United States has formally invited China's newly reappointed foreign minister, Wang Yi, to Washington, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday, after Wang's predecessor was abruptly removed from his post by Beijing. "In the meeting yesterday, we extended the invitation that had previously been made to foreign minister Qin Gang and made clear that invitation did transfer over," Miller said. The U.S. State Department said then they held "candid, substantive, and constructive" talks, and Blinken invited Qin to Washington to continue discussions. Wang, 69, served as foreign minister from 2013-2022 as ties frayed with the United States to a point Beijing described as an all-time low.

Persons: Wang Yi, Hakan Fidan, Stringer, China's, Wang, Qin Gang, Qin, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Yang Tao, Matthew Miller, Miller, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Sandra Maler, Alistair Bell Organizations: Turkish, United, U.S . State Department, State Department, U.S, East, Pacific Affairs, North, Oceania Affairs, China's Foreign Ministry, State, Washington, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, United States, Washington, Beijing, China, East Asia, North American, U.S, Jakarta, Qin's

☆ 'Not found': China's ex-foreign minister is gone but wait for explanation goes on
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

BEIJING, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Hours after China's top legislature convened a special meeting last week to remove foreign minister Qin Gang, photos and mentions of the 57-year-old started disappearing from his former ministry's website. China named veteran diplomat Wang Yi to replace Qin, but gave few further clues on the reason for the change. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Thursday said Beijing will release information in a timely matter regarding Qin and opposes "malicious hype". The foreign ministry removed all online traces to its former chief protocol officer Zhang Kunsheng who was found guilty of corruption and using his position of power to obtain sex in 2016. He then made a triple jump from director of protocol to U.S. ambassador and then to foreign minister and state councillor in five years, bullet-train speed by China standards.

Persons: Qin Gang, Qin, Gang, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Mao Ning, Ian Johnson, Wu Qiang, Wu, Xiao Yaqing, Zhang Kunsheng, Mao Zedong, Mao, Xi, Xi's, Alfred Wu, Lee Kwan, Yew Lun Tian, John Geddie Organizations: Foreign Ministry, State, Information Office, Council, Foreign Relations, Industry, Committee, Communist, Xinhua, Lee Kwan Yew, of Public Policy, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Washington, Singapore, Lincoln

☆ Northern China faces Doksuri floods as south mops up from storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China's National Meteorological Center kept its red alert, the country's highest, for rainstorms on Sunday, state media Xinhua reported. Doksuri, one of the strongest storms to hit China in years, had prompted thousands to evacuate in southern province Fujian and ripping coastal areas and pushing north and inland. Although the authorities downgraded the storm from typhoon on Sunday, the China Meteorological Bureau maintained a red alert for heavy rain in various provinces, especially northern areas such as Hebei, Beijing, Shanxi and Henan. The capital was likely to receive record rainfall, while cities in Hebei province, which encircles Beijing, were waterlogged, local media reported. In Hebei, 209 weather stations recorded extremely heavy rainfall and 1,283 heavy rainfall，local TV reported.

Persons: Typhoon Doksuri, Doksuri, Khanun, Ningwei Qin, Kevin Yao, William Mallard Organizations: cnsphoto, REUTERS, National Meteorological Center, Xinhua, China, China Meteorological Bureau, Ningwei, Thomson Locations: Xincuo, Fuqing, Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, REUTERS BEIJING, Beijing, Fujian, Philippines, Taiwan, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei province, Zhejiang province, Shanghai

☆ Le Maire says France wants better China market access
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, July 30 (Reuters) - French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in Beijing on Sunday his country wants to get better access to Chinese markets. To have a balanced trade relationship with China, France needs to export more goods to China, he told a press conference after meeting Chinese officials. Le Maire said France was on the right track, paving the way to better access to the Chinese market for French cosmetics, adding he opposed the "illusion" of countries "decoupling" from China. There was no possibility of decoupling among China, the U.S. and Europe, the minister said. It would be good to have Chinese companies investing and developing their activities in Europe, Le Maire said.

Persons: Bruno Le Maire, Le Maire, Martin Pollard, Kevin Yao, William Mallard Organizations: French Finance, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, France, U.S, Europe

☆ What Qin Gang's disappearance means for U.S.-China relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. officials greet Qin Gang, then China's foreign minister, ahead of a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in Beijing on June 18, 2023. Leah Millis | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — The flurry over Qin Gang's disappearance and removal from the position of foreign minister has little impact on U.S.-China relations, analysts said. China officially announced his dismissal from the foreign minister role on Tuesday. China's foreign ministry has declined to shared why Qin had to leave his position. watch nowWhile Wang's return to the foreign minister role is unusual, his promotion to top diplomat had also come contrary to expectations of retirement.

Persons: Qin Gang, Antony Blinken, Leah Millis, Qin Gang's, Qin, China's, Wang Yi, Xi Jinping, Nick Marro, Xi, Wang, Jeremy Chan, Anna Ashton, Biden Organizations: U.S, Afp, Getty, Communist Party, Economist Intelligence Unit, Eurasia Group Locations: Beijing, BEIJING, China, Eurasia, Northeast Asia, U.S

☆ China's Wang Yi makes first statement after reappointment as foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, July 28 (Reuters) - China's Wang Yi has made his first comments on Friday since his reappointment as foreign minister, promising to deepen partnerships and safeguard sovereignty in a statement posted on his ministry's website. The veteran diplomat was named foreign minister again on Tuesday, replacing rising star Qin Gang after a mysterious one-month absence that raised questions about transparency after just seven months in the job. Wang said his ministry would deepen partnerships with other countries and actively participate in reform of global governance and "resolutely safeguard the sovereignty, security, development and interests" of China. Qin was appointed foreign minister in December but had not been seen in public since June 25 when he met visiting diplomats in Beijing. Wang, Qin's predecessor at the ministry, held the foreign minister's post from 2013-2022.

Persons: Wang Yi, Qin, Wang, Beijing . Wang, Ethan Wang, Kim Coghill Organizations: Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing .

☆ After Ousting a Top Official, China Erases Him and Evades Questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( David Pierson | More About David Pierson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China’s abrupt removal of Qin Gang as foreign minister did not stop the questions that had dogged Chinese officials in the month since he vanished from public view: Where is Mr. Qin? Representatives of the Foreign Ministry have struggled to respond when pressed by reporters, repeatedly saying that they had no information to provide. After China replaced him on Tuesday, nearly all references to Mr. Qin were scrubbed from the ministry’s website, an unusual erasure that has only deepened the intrigue. Mr. Xi, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, has concentrated power under himself and enforced secrecy in an already highly opaque system, no matter the cost to China’s international image. Mr. Xi has diminished the sway of the Foreign Ministry, analysts say, as he’s pursued an increasingly assertive, and some say risky, foreign policy.

Persons: Qin, Qin’s, Xi Jinping, Xi, Mao Zedong, he’s Organizations: Qin Gang, Foreign Ministry Locations: China

☆ Eurasia Group discusses the implications of Qin Gang's removal as China's foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEurasia Group discusses the implications of Qin Gang's removal as China's foreign ministerAnna Ashton, Eurasia Group's director for China corporate affairs, says we'll probably never know the full story behind why Qin Gang has "precipitously fallen" from his position as Chinese foreign minister.

Persons: Qin, Anna Ashton, we'll Organizations: Eurasia Group, Qin Locations: Eurasia, China

☆ China's foreign minister has been removed from his post one month after disappearing from the public eye. Experts say we may never know why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Eurasia Group's Jeremy Chan told Insider that "so much remains unknown about Qin's case." As of press time, references to Qin had been removed from the foreign ministry's website. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Because of the opacity of the Chinese government, few people will ever know what led to Qin's abrupt departure, experts say. Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, told Insider that the lack of clarity "is part of the opacity and uncertainty" in China.

Persons: Qin Gang, Jeremy Chan, Qin, Wang Yi, Wang, Chong Ja Ian, Chong, Dylan Loh, Loh, Wang Wenbin, Wang's, Fu Xiaotian, Fu Organizations: Eurasia, Service, Qin, Eurasia Group, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, China's, China, Beijing, Russia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Chinese, South China

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Alphabet rises as Microsoft sinks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Passing grade for AlphabetAlphabet shares rose more than 6% in extended trading after the company reported better-than-expected revenue and profit. Second-quarter revenue rose 7% year over year to $74.6 billion, boosted by a 28% jump in revenue in Google's cloud unit. Revenue rose 8% from a year earlier to hit $56.19 billion, though revenue growth in Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, slowed.

Persons: —, Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Qin, Bob Pisani Organizations: CNBC, Microsoft Investors, Revenue, Dow Jones Industrial, Qin Locations: China, Beijing, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Russia

☆ China reappoints Wang Yi as foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsChina reappoints Wang Yi as foreign ministerPostedChina appointed top diplomat Wang Yi as its foreign minister on Tuesday, ousting Qin Gang who has not been seen in public for a month. Almond Li has more.

Persons: China reappoints Wang Yi, Wang Yi, Qin Gang, Almond Li Organizations: China Locations: China

☆ Japan says it hopes to communicate closely with China including with Wang Yi
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 26 (Reuters) - Japan hopes to communicate closely with China, including with its newly named foreign minister and veteran diplomat Wang Yi, the top government spokesperson said on Wednesday. "It is important to build a constructive and stable relationship with China through mutual efforts," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. China on Tuesday named Wang to replace Qin Gang, who had not been seen in public since June 25. Wang, who was Qin's predecessor, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi agreed to resume high-level trilateral talks with South Korea on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Indonesia earlier this month. Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wang Yi, Hirokazu Matsuno, Wang, Gang, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: China, South, Association of South East Asian Nations, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia

☆ China signals more support for real estate with a 'big change' in tone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Construction on a real estate project in Yantai, Shandong province, gets under way on July 8, 2023. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China is changing its tone on the struggling real estate sector, paving the way for policy support. The statement reflects a "much clearer understanding about the seriousness of the situation," said Qin Gang, executive director of China real estate research institute ICR. He expects policies beneficial to the real estate market and consumption will come out in coming days. So far, the biggest real estate policy change has been this month's extension of measures to support developers, which were first revealed in November.

Persons: Larry Hu, Hu, Qin Gang, Ricky Tsang, China's, Tsang, It's, Zong Liang, Zong, Tommy Wu, Wu Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, CNBC, Macquarie, People's Bank of China, Qin, Seng Property Development, National Bureau of Statistics, Bank of China Locations: Yantai, Shandong province, BEIJING, China

☆ Australia's O'Callaghan smashes 14-year-old record to win world title
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FUKUOKA, Japan, July 26 (Reuters) - Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan finished with a flourish to break the longest-standing world record in women's swimming, claiming the 200 metres freestyle title in a time of one minute, 52.85 seconds at the World Aquatics Championships on Wednesday. Summer McIntosh of Canada was 0.80 seconds behind to take bronze in a world junior record time. Olympic champion Titmus had blazed to the 400m freestyle title on Sunday to erase 16-year-old McIntosh's mark and was well placed to go for another record after topping the semi-final time sheet. Hungary's world record holder Kristof Milak was absent from the men's 200m butterfly that followed, as the Olympic and world champion skipped the meet saying that he was not physically or mentally in a position to compete. The mixed 4x100m medley relay concludes the fourth day of swimming with the Americans tipped to win their third title.

Persons: Mollie O'Callaghan, O'Callaghan, Italian Federica Pellegrini, Ariarne Titmus, Summer McIntosh, Titmus, China's Yang Junxuan, Kristof Milak, Frenchman Leon Marchand, Poland's Krzysztof Chmielewski, Tomoru Honda, Qin Haiyang, Nic Fink, Adam Peaty, Matthew Richards, Ahmed Hafnaoui, Sam Short, Bobby Finke, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis Organizations: Wednesday, Channel, Marine Messe Fukuoka, Thomson Locations: FUKUOKA, Japan, Italian, Rome, Australia, Canada, Budapest, Tunisia, United States, Bengaluru

☆ China is erasing mention of Qin Gang's time as foreign minister, but it still hasn't said why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —Five weeks ago, the world watched as China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing for high stakes talks between the two powers. Qin’s whereabouts, the reason for his removal, and his ultimate fate as a member of China’s Communist Party all remain unknown. Unanswered questions about official decision-making are standard in China, where the political system is notoriously opaque and has only become more so under Chinese leader Xi Jinping. But it also suggests that the cause must be grave for (Qin) to be removed,” she added. ‘Safe hands’The Foreign Ministry shake-up comes at a particularly sensitive time in China’s international relations.

Persons: Qin Gang, Antony Blinken, –, Qin, Wang Yi, Wang, Xi Jinping ., they’ve, Xi, ”, Yun Sun, …, Neil Thomas, Bonnie Glaser, Marshall Fund’s, hashtags, Li Mingjiang, Blinken, “ I’ve, I’ve, ” Blinken, “, ” Wang, China’s, Vladimir Putin, Asia Society’s Thomas, Victor Shih Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, China’s Foreign Ministry, China’s Communist Party, Xi Jinping . Senior, China Program, Communist Party, Politics, Asia Society, Center for, Foreign, Weibo, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, University of California San, Century China Center Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Washington, Center for China, United States, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Jakarta, Moscow, Asia, University of California San Diego’s

☆ China Replaces Foreign Minister Missing From Public View Since June
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Chris Buckley | More About Chris Buckley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China’s foreign minister, Qin Gang, has been removed from office after disappearing from public view 30 days ago, abruptly ending the career of a diplomat who leaped to the top as one of President Xi Jinping’s most trusted rising stars, the Chinese government announced on Tuesday. The official decision that Mr. Qin had been replaced — and his spot taken by the former foreign minister, Wang Yi — capped weeks of speculation about his fate. As speculation grew, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Mr. Qin had health problems. The lack of clarity appears sure to fan speculation among Chinese commentators and seasoned observers about the circumstances behind one of the most dramatic falls of a high-flying Chinese official in recent times. Whatever the veracity of those theories, Mr. Qin’s downfall is an awkward moment for Mr. Xi, who catapulted Mr. Qin into his powerful role as minister ahead of other older, longer-serving diplomats.

Persons: Qin Gang, Xi Jinping’s, Qin, —, Wang Yi —, Xi Organizations: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National, Committee Locations: China’s, United States

☆ China's Qin Gang had meteoric rise and swift removal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Born in the northern city of Tianjin in 1966, Qin studied International Politics at one of China's most prestigious schools for aspiring diplomats, the University of International Relations in Beijing. After graduating, Qin entered the diplomatic service, working in several jobs at the foreign ministry as well as postings at the Chinese Embassy in Britain. Qin was twice foreign ministry spokesman, between 2006 and 2014, and chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, overseeing many of Xi's interactions with foreign leaders. After becoming foreign minister, Qin's comments on hot button issues such as Taiwan and China's relations with Russia did not diverge in any significant way from those of his predecessor. In his first comments as foreign minister, Qin said in solving challenges common to all mankind, China's diplomacy would offer "Chinese wisdom, Chinese initiatives and Chinese strength".

Persons: Qin Gang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Wang Yi, Qin, Britain . Qin, Antony Blinken, Wang, Yew Lun Tian, Martin Quin Pollard, Rob Birsel, Nick Macfie Organizations: Foreign, University of International Relations, Embassy, Washington, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Tianjin, Beijing, Britain ., United States, Washington, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Africa, Europe, Ukraine, China, American, U.S

☆ China replaces foreign minister Qin after brief stint and weeks of speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang looks on during his meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Egypt, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File PhotoBEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - China removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang from his post on Tuesday after a one-month absence from public duties, replacing him with his predecessor Wang Yi, state media said, after weeks of speculation about what had happened to him. Qin, 57, who only took up the job in December after a brief stint as envoy to the United States, had not been seen in public since June 25 when he met visiting diplomats in Beijing. Wang, 69, who filled in for Qin during his absence, retakes the role he held between 2018 and 2022. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about reasons behind the switch.

Persons: Qin Gang, Sameh Shoukry, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Wang Yi, Qin, Wang, Andrew Heavens, Nick Macfie Organizations: Foreign, REUTERS, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, BEIJING, China, United States, Beijing, Indonesia, Ukraine, Moscow, Taiwan

☆ China replaces Qin Gang as foreign minister after one-month absence and weeks of speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Qin Gang, China's foreign minister, speaks while holding a copy of the constitution during a news conference in Beijing, China, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. China removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang from his post on Tuesday after a one-month absence from public duties, replacing him with his predecessor Wang Yi, state media said, after weeks of speculation about what had happened to him. Wang, 69, who filled in for Qin during his absence, retakes the role he held between 2018 and 2022. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about reasons behind the switch. It comes amid a flurry of international engagements and frayed ties with rival superpower the United States, which Beijing has described as at its lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Persons: Qin, Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Wang Organizations: Foreign Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Indonesia, Ukraine, Moscow, Taiwan

Washington-based analysts say Wang's return to the ministry should help China's foreign ministry resume normal operations after weeks of international speculation about Qin's fate. In the Chinese system, the top diplomat is not foreign minister but rather the director of the Chinese Communist Party's foreign affairs commission, a role Wang will continue to hold. Still, Wang's reappointment is a sign of problems in China's foreign policy establishment, said Blanchette. On Tuesday, content mentioning Qin was quickly removed from China's foreign ministry website after Wang's appointment. The tab on the website that typically holds the biography of the foreign minister simply read "Updating."

Persons: Wang Yi, Qin Gang, Xi Jinping's, Qin, Xi, Wang, Joseph Torigian, Vedant Patel, Blinken, Joe Biden, Rorry Daniels, Wang's, China's, Jude Blanchette, Craig Singleton, Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom, Don Durfee Organizations: Communist, American University, U.S . State Department, U.S, APEC, Asia Society Policy Institute, Communist Party, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Thomson Locations: Washington, United States, Beijing, U.S, China, China's, Xi's, India, California, Taiwan, scold Washington, Lincoln

☆ Xi Jinping’s foreign minister ousted after month-long unexplained absence from public view
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s foreign minister Qin Gang was dramatically ousted on Tuesday after a prolonged absence from public view and replaced by his predecessor in a surprising and highly unusual shake-up of the country’s foreign policy leadership. Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, had only been appointed foreign minister in December after serving as China’s ambassador to Washington. Wang, who was foreign minister from 2013 to 2022, now serves as director of the foreign affairs arm of the ruling Communist Party, a position which makes him China’s top diplomat. The appointment of a foreign minister through a vote during a China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting is a deviation from past precedents. Qin’s disappearance from China’s foreign affairs schedule has not been fully explained by the ministry, which briefly cited “health reasons” when he missed a diplomatic gathering earlier this month.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Wang, Andrey Rudenko, Wagner, Xi, ”, Deng Yuwen, Deng, they’ve Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Russian, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Xi, CNN, Senior Locations: Hong Kong, Washington, China, Beijing, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Russia, Indonesia, South Africa, Johannesburg

☆ China and the US are talking -- but can they work together?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Beijing views Washington as bent on suppressing its development and global rise, while Washington has proclaimed the need to protect its national security and the world order from an increasingly authoritarian and assertive China. Washington last year imposed sweeping curbs on exports of critical technology to China in the name of security, and Beijing has responded with export controls of its own. China has refused US overtures to restore those ties, apparently until Washington removes sanctions against its defense minister Li Shangfu. US climate envoy John Kerry during a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in the Great Hall of the People on July 18, 2023 in Beijing, China. But all this doesn’t mean there’s no room to work together, according to Shanghai-based international relations scholar Shen Dingli.

Persons: Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Li Qiang, Wang Yi, –, ”, Chong Ja Ian, “, Suisheng Zhao, Kerry, Wang, ” Yellen, Li, Li Shangfu, Shi Yinhong, Florence Lo, Shen Dingli, ” Shen, Shen, Blinken, ” Blinken, Xi, Qin Gang, Yun Sun, Chong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Washington, US, Treasury, National University of Singapore, US Air Force, Air Force, South Carolina . U.S . Air Force, Department of Defense, Reuters, Center for, Cooperation, University of Denver, China’s Communist Party, Renmin University, of, CNN, ”, Economic Cooperation, Foreign, China Program, Stimson, “ Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, United States, China, Taiwan, Bali, —, South Carolina . U.S, Washington, Center for China, South, Shanghai, Asia, Singapore

The planned recipient of the colorful batik top was Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang, who has not been seen in nearly a month and is set to miss at least one other important meeting, in South Africa, next week. It is not clear whether even then Borrell would meet Qin as initially planned, the official said. The former aide to President Xi Jinping was appointed foreign minister in December after serving less than two years as ambassador to the United States. Qin's absence has also been widely discussed in the diplomatic community, with some saying it is another example of China's lack of transparency. Some diplomats have even started to speculate on who may replace Qin, with three telling Reuters the ranking vice foreign minister, Ma Zhaoxu could be a candidate.

Persons: Qin Gang, Qin, Yun Sun, Mao Ning, Wang Yi, Josep Borrell, Wen, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Ma Zhaoxu, Ma, Wang, Xie Feng, Xie, Laurie Chen, Martin Quin Pollard, Yew, Tian, Kate Lamb, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew MacAskill, John Geddie, Robert Birsel Organizations: China Program, Stimson, Reuters, EU, Australian National University, Qin, Baidu, London School of Economics, United, Aspen Security Conference, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, JAKARTA, China, Indonesia, Jakarta, South Africa, Washington, Johannesburg, Britain, United States, Beijing, Sri Lankan, United Nations, Brussels, London

☆ Xi Jinping's foreign minister vanished from public view. His prolonged absence is driving intense speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public for three weeks, an unusually long absence during a busy period of diplomatic activity in Beijing, sparking intense speculation in a country known for its political opaqueness. Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, was promoted to foreign minister in December, after a brief stint as ambassador to the United States. As foreign minister, Qin has delivered searing rebukes of Washington after relations plunged to a new low in the aftermath of a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the US. The Chinese Foreign Ministry often leaves out content it deems sensitive from the transcripts of its regular briefings. Senior Chinese officials have disappeared from public view in the past, only to be revealed months later by the ruling Communist Party’s disciplinary watchdog that they’ve been detained for investigations.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Andrey Rudenko, Wagner, “, ”, Deng Yuwen, Janet Yellen, John Kerry . Qin, Josep Borrell, Wang Yi, Deng, they’ve, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Russian, Communist Party, Foreign Ministry, European Union, EU, ” Reuters, Reuters, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Senior, Xi Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Washington, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Russia, China, Indonesia

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