Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has been removed from his post four weeks after his last public appearance.
State media said on Tuesday that Qin, who held the role for just seven months, will be replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi. No reason was given for the move.
The mysterious absence of 57-year-old Qin, once seen as close to President Xi Jinping, had sparked widespread speculation. Officials had previously cited “health reasons”, without elaborating.
Here is what to know.
Who is Qin Gang?
Born in the northern city of Tianjin in 1966, Qin studied international politics at China’s prestigious University of International Relations in Beijing and entered the diplomatic service. He worked in several jobs at the foreign ministry as well as at the Chinese Embassy in Britain.
Qin was twice foreign ministry spokesman, between 2006 and 2014, and chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, overseeing many of Xi’s interactions with foreign leaders.
Qin Gang (second from right) was known as a close and trusted ally of President Xi Jinping [File: Noel Celis/Reuters]
According to Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, Qin’s rise in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was “rapid and meteoric”.
At the age of 57, he became in December 2022 one of the youngest officials to be named foreign minister, after serving as ambassador to the United States for two years.
“Qin managed to achieve in years what would have taken other officials decades,” Yu said from Beijing.
As ministry spokesman, he stood out for being one of the first diplomats to speak aggressively in defence of China’s increasingly assertive foreign policy, a style that became known as “wolf warrior” diplomacy.
But he also displayed willingness to work with the United States, declaring upon his arrival in Washington as ambassador in July 2021 that relations held “great opportunities and potential” although they did not markedly improve during his time as ambassador.
I am completing my duty as Chinese Ambassador to the United States. I came to assume office in 2021 at a time of severe challenges for China-US relations.
Qin, who is married with one son, visited various countries after becoming foreign minister, including several in Africa and in Europe, where he pushed China’s call for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
In his first comments as foreign minister, Qin said in solving challenges common to all mankind, China’s diplomacy would offer “Chinese wisdom, Chinese initiatives and Chinese strength”.
One of China’s youngest-ever foreign ministers, Qin also ended his term as the country’s shortest-serving official to hold the post.
Who is Wang Yi?
Wang is the country’s top diplomat, outranking Qin in the government hierarchy as the head of China’s top foreign policy decision-making body.
The 69-year-old held the post of foreign minister for almost a decade from 2013 onward and also filled in for Qin during his absence over the past month.
Yu said Wang’s dual role is leading some analysts to believe that his appointment could be temporary until a new foreign minister is named.
“Wang is experienced, a familiar face and [someone who is seen as] a stabilising force at a time marked by a lot of upheaval,” she noted.
A fluent Japanese speaker, Wang previously served as China’s ambassador in Tokyo and head of China’s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office.
As head of the CCP Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang was seen as instrumental in brokering a surprise peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March this year.
What has happened in recent weeks?
Qin was last seen in public on June 25, when he held talks with counterparts from Russia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Since then, he has been conspicuously absent from his duties at a time of intense diplomatic activity for Beijing, including efforts to stabilise relations with Washington.
Qin had been scheduled to meet European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on July 4, but EU officials announced that China cancelled the talks without explanation with only a few days’ warning.
Qin then failed to attend closely-watched meetings with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US climate envoy John Kerry.
His ministry said on July 11 that he was unable to attend a meeting in Indonesia for unspecified “health reasons”. It declined any further comment on his status, creating an information vacuum in which rumours swirled.
During a meeting of foreign ministers at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Jakarta last week, China was represented by Wang.
What happened to Qin Gang?
No reason has been given for Qin’s dismissal, while his whereabouts remain unknown.
His removal was announced by state media saying that “China’s top legislature voted to appoint Wang Yi as foreign minister … as it convened a session on Tuesday. Qin Gang was removed from the post of foreign minister.”
Al Jazeera’s Yu said the mystery surrounding Qin’s whereabouts highlights the secretive nature of the Chinese government.
“It’s not uncommon for well-known personalities such as businesspeople or celebrities to temporarily disappear from the public eye after falling foul of authorities,” she said. “But for it to happen to such a powerful government figure is rare indeed.”
Why does the change matter?
Analysts say the sudden leadership shift at the foreign ministry is expected to cause disturbance in Beijing’s diplomatic ranks.
“This is a huge embarrassment for China,” Nicholas Bequelin, a senior fellow at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Center, told Al Jazeera.
“Qin Gang, the foreign minister, is the public face of China with the world on the international stage and it’s hard to overstate the negative impact that this is having among diplomats around the world,” he said.
There will be limitless speculations on what’s behind this. Qin Gang was said to be a favorite of Xi Jinping ????????, then suddenly disappeared and was now suddenly dismissed. These things don’t happen without a reason. https://t.co/l7UrkMqnBR
Qin was also known as one of Xi’s most trusted advisers.
“Qin Gang was very much handpicked by Xi himself to leapfrog many more established candidates to become the foreign minister last year,” Neil Thomas, from the Asia Society Policy Institute, told Al Jazeera.
“So he really is a captain’s pick, even more so than many other Xi allies in terms of the speed of their rise through the Communist Party ranks.”
Bequelin noted that it is Xi himself who has been driving the direction of China’s foreign policy, with Wang tasked with implementing the strategy.
“Qin Gang, as the foreign minister, is the one who sort of runs the day-to-day machinery. But that is nonetheless very important because diplomats rely on trust, on knowing each other, on the ability to reach out to each other. So it’s highly concerning when you have the foreign minister disappear for a month without a proper explanation,” he said.
Bequelin argued that the development “puts back in the mind of people that China is unpredictable – that at any point people can disappear, that you have no guarantee what comes on the next day”.
“I think that is the reminder that China is trying to avoid as it casts itself as a sort of very stable, trustworthy and reliable architect of the new world order that is supposed to come after the US-led one,” he said.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
