No longer part of the party leadership China's ex-minister remains missing - mystery continues

China's former foreign minister Qin Gang has been missing for a year. Now he has been removed from the party leadership.

China's former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who has not been seen in public since last summer, is no longer a member of the Communist Party leadership. The party's Central Committee announced on Thursday after a four-day meeting that his resignation had been accepted.

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Chinese politician thus remains unsolved. Once again, the party did not provide any further details. Last summer, the then foreign minister suddenly stopped appearing for public appointments.

Weeks later, the top politician selected for the post by state and party leader Xi Jinping was finally removed from his post after only around seven months. He had resigned as a member of the People's Congress in February.

Former defense minister also removed from Central Committee

In addition to Qin, the then Defense Minister Li Shangfu also disappeared in the late summer of 2023. However, his fate has been clarified: the general was expelled from the party at the end of June due to serious allegations of corruption. The Central Committee consequently also removed him from its ranks on Thursday.

In China, high-ranking officials disappear from the public eye time and again. It often becomes known later that the party's disciplinary commission is investigating them.

SDA