Ouster of Xi’s Handpicked Foreign Minister Halts Rising Career
- Qin Gang was expected to help stabilize China-US relations
- Foreign minister was unseated from role without explanation
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As foreign minister, China’s Qin Gang was expected to usher in an era of diplomacy that would help steady geopolitical ties. Instead, his surprise removal after just seven months has injected a fresh dose of uncertainty.
The former Chinese ambassador to the US became his nation’s shortest-ever serving foreign minister on Tuesday, after China’s top legislative body stripped him from the role and reinstated his predecessor Wang Yi.