BEIJING (AP/RTR) — China has replaced Foreign Minister Chen Gang with his predecessor and chief diplomat Wang Yi. State media gave no reason for Chen’s departure. He has not been seen in public for a month, which has already led to speculation about his position.
Chen was seen as a close confidant of President Xi Jinping. He succeeded Wang as foreign minister last December. Wang has taken care of Chen’s duties recently. The chief diplomat is responsible for the foreign policy of the Communist Party, and thus has a higher position in the government than Chen.
Chen was last seen in public on June 25. Then he met in Beijing with the Deputy Minister of Russia Andrei Rudenko (Foreign Affairs). His absence was noticed two weeks later when he missed an international meeting in Indonesia. The Foreign Ministry later said Chen was absent due to health reasons, but did not comment further.
Chen’s career
On Monday, a ministry spokesman said it had “no information” on Chen. It also stated that “China’s diplomatic activity is advancing steadily.” Not much has been done about the rumors circulating on the Internet about the minister. Among other things, he wrote that Chen is under official investigation for an alleged relationship with a prominent television personality.
Before becoming a minister, the 57-year-old Chen served as ambassador to Washington. The fact that he got those positions instead of more experienced candidates was, according to observers, due to Xi’s confidence in him. Prior to that, Chen had worked for years at the Foreign Office, for example as Chief of Protocol and Spokesperson, as well as at the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom.
