China appoints Wang Yi as Foreign Minister after Qin’s disappearance

BEIJING: China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has been removed from office within seven months after he was appointed to the post. Qin, who has not been seen publicly for a month, has been replaced by veteran Communist Party leader Wang Yi.

The 57-year-old’s last known public engagements were on June 25. No reason was given for his removal, the BBC reported. The decision to replace Qin was adopted on Tuesday at the fourth session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC).

President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order to effectuate the decision, Xinhua news agency reported. Qin was appointed to the Foreign Minister’s post last December.

Recently, he met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing as the two sides sought to restore diplomatic contacts at the highest level. (IANS)

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