Mystery of China’s missing foreign minister Qin Gang, Singapore’s scandals spark memes: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

From the prolonged absence of China’s foreign minister to Singapore’s political memes, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting

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China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public since late June. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:30am, 21 Jul 2023Updated: 2:12pm, 21 Jul 2023

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues.

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1. Mystery over China’s missing foreign minister takes toll on country’s image

It is the high season for Chinese diplomacy – with past and present world leaders visiting Beijing over the past month – but the country’s foreign minister Qin Gang has been conspicuously absent. So far Beijing has been tight-lipped about his whereabouts, attributing his absence to unspecified “health reasons” despite growing speculation.

Read the full story here.

2. Tricked into trafficking? Hong Kong drug mules face uphill fight to prove innocence

A Hong Kong customs officer displays 6.3kg of suspected cocaine found in biscuit tins in a tourist’s luggage. Photo: Harvey Kong

International syndicates are using more couriers to smuggle drugs into Hong Kong, authorities say. Father John Wotherspoon, a prison chaplain and chief executive officer of Voice for Prisoners, said he had seen a wide range of tactics used to trick people into carrying drugs. “People who have been tricked into becoming drug mules are not criminals or members of drug syndicates, they are innocent victims.”