Written by Chris Kunis··Modified:
From right to left
He hasn’t been seen in public for a month, and now he’s officially been fired. But the reason behind the change of Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Gang, 57 years old, remains a mystery.
What happened to Qin Gang? In the West, he was until recently one of the most prominent and distinguished Chinese politicians. But since June 25, no trace of him has been found. On that day he was last seen at a meeting in Beijing with fellow ministers from Russia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
A week before that, Chen received the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in the Chinese capital. It was a historic meeting: an American minister visited China for the first time in five years. Relations between China and the United States have reached a low point, and Blinken’s visit was supposed to clear the worst of the air.
In recent weeks, Chen was suddenly not heard from again. “The only explanation we received a few weeks ago was that it would be for health reasons,” says Chinese correspondent Roland Smid from Shanghai. “But that was also not mentioned when he announced his departure.”
Today witnessed a press conference attended by a large number of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Many foreign journalists came there, all asking about Chen. In vain: the official spokesman present could not say anything. It was announced that Chen would be replaced by his predecessor, 69-year-old party veteran Wang Yi.
Rising star
While Chen Gang was seen as a rising star. He made a rapid career at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, where he joined in 1992. Chen worked in the Western European Affairs Department of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom and also served as the ministry’s spokesman.
In recent years his career has gained momentum. In 2018, he was appointed for the first time as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He then became ambassador to the United States in the summer of 2021, before being appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs last December.
Confidant of President Xi
Smid: “Chen was seen as a confidant of President Xi Jinping, which is why he has risen in rank relatively quickly in recent years. However, he is not a member of the Politburo, the most important organ of the Chinese Communist Party. This means that he is not on the “The top of the Chinese leadership tree, but as a favorite of Xi’s, he was certainly important.”
Chen belongs to a group of Chinese diplomats who have defended their country with strong language to the outside world in recent years. Smid: “For example, he recently criticized the Dutch intelligence services and media over critical reporting on alleged Chinese cyber threats. He did so after a conversation with Minister Hoekstra in Beijing.”
Chen’s disappearance reminds us of another Chinese politician who suddenly disappeared from the scene, Bo Xilai. He was also a political star within the Communist Party and served, among other things, as Minister of Commerce. Until he was suddenly dismissed as a bad apple in 2012 after a power struggle with Xi Jinping. A year later He was convicted He was sentenced to life imprisonment and all his belongings were taken from him.
