Chinese left guessing about ex-foreign minister Qin Gang as swift removal follows long absence
- Absence of details on downfall of once rising star leaves online and offline communities confused, with several questioning the health issues angle
- Lighter touch from online censors on the matter probably due to a lack of clear instructions ‘from the top’, analyst in Hong Kong says
Online or off, many Chinese find the official information about Qin – now China’s shortest-serving foreign minister ever – lacking in details on what might have precipitated the sudden turn of fate for a once rising star.
Qin had not been seen in public since June 25, with no official explanation offered beyond unspecified “health reasons”, until state media on Tuesday reported he had been relieved of his post. But many Chinese users remain unconvinced that health had a role to play.
While censorship had apparently been at work to limit social media posts about Qin, many Chinese social media users were still able to discuss his removal and publicly speculate about what might have caused his predecessor and Communist Party foreign affairs chief, Wang Yi, to be named foreign minister again.
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Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang ousted after month-long absence
Many comments speculating on the likely cause for Qin’s departure, ranging from private matters to serious political wrongdoing, were left uncensored on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform.
