Mystery Around China’s Former Minister Intensifies as Erased Name Reappears

China erased all information about Qin Gang from the foreign ministry’s website, shortly after removing him from the minister’s post following his month-long unexplained absence. But Mr. Qin’s meetings started to reappear on July 28.

Qin Gang, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Lanting Forum, held under the theme of "Chinese Modernization and the World", at the Grand Halls, in Shanghai, on April 21, 2023. Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP via Getty Images

On July 28, the Chinese regime reinstated information about Qin Gang, the former foreign minister who was ousted a month after his unexplained disappearance from public view, on the foreign ministry’s website, intensifying mysteries around the senior diplomat.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) didn’t offer any explanations for the removal of Mr. Qin, a decision that state media announced late on July 25 in a one-line statement. Top diplomat Wang Yi was reappointed as foreign minister.