Qin Gang has not been seen in public for months. Now Beijing has announced that he has resigned 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 Central Committee further stated that it had also expelled former defense minister Li Shangfu and the former commander of the army’s rocket troops, Li Yuchao, for “serious violations of discipline and law.” This phrase is considered a code word for corruption offenses. A comprehensive purge to combat corruption is underway in China’s army, with high-ranking generals also being targeted.
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Chinese politician remains unsolved. The party again did not provide any further details. In the summer of last year, the then foreign minister suddenly stopped appearing at public events. Weeks later, the top politician chosen for the office by state and party leader Xi Jinping was finally removed from his post after only about seven months. In February, he resigned as a deputy to the People’s Congress.
In addition to Qin, the then Defense Minister Li Shangfu also disappeared in late summer 2023. However, his fate has been clarified: the general was expelled from the party at the end of June due to serious corruption allegations. The Central Committee consequently also removed him from its ranks on Thursday. In China, high-ranking officials also disappear from public view again and again. Later, it often becomes known that the party’s disciplinary commission is investigating them.
