Leadership Change in China Qin Gang Steps Down, Wang Yi Takes Over as Foreign Minister
China has removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang from his post after a month-long absence from public duties, replacing him with his predecessor, Wang Yi. Qin, who had taken up the position in December, had not been seen in public since June 25, leading to speculation about his whereabouts.
The foreign ministry had previously stated that he was on leave for health reasons, but the lack of detailed information raised concerns about transparency in the country’s leadership. Wang Yi, who served as foreign minister from 2018 to 2022, will resume the role amid ongoing international engagements and strained relations with the United States. The US-China relationship is facing challenges on issues such as Ukraine, trade disputes, technology, and Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
