From alleged torture, suicide to demotion: Why China’s disgraced foreign minister Qin Gang’s fate is fodder for speculation

While observers note that Beijing’s silence on Mr Qin has contributed to the rumour mill, they point out that it is this very opacity by the Chinese party and state that is driving keen interest, considering his closeness to President Xinping and the senior roles he held before his downfall.

“Understanding the reasons behind his removal and his current status could provide valuable insights into China’s diplomatic direction and possible internal power shifts,” Associate Professor Alfred Wu from the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) told CNA.

ONE MAN, MULTIPLE FATES

Mr Qin assumed the role of China’s foreign minister in late December 2022 at the age of 56. Before that, he served as China’s ambassador to the US for approximately 18 months.

The once-rising political star has not been seen in public since Jun 25, 2023, when he held talks with counterparts from Russia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. His absence from the annual foreign ministers’ meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a month later was explained by Chinese officials as due to “health reasons”.

On Jul 25, 2023, a decree signed by President Xi Jinping formally announced Mr Qin’s dismissal from his post. His predecessor Mr Wang Yi retook the role. Mr Qin retained his position as a state councillor – an elite post within China’s Communist Party (CCP).

Since then, notable Western media outlets have reported on his possible fate.

A Wall Street Journal article published on Sep 19, 2023, reported that he had engaged in an extramarital affair during his tenure as ambassador to the US, resulting in the birth of a child. 

The report, citing two unnamed sources, claimed that Qin was under investigation to determine whether his conduct or the relationship had compromised national security.

On Dec 6 of the same year, American political digital newspaper Politico, citing two unnamed sources “with access to high-level Chinese officials”, reported that Mr. Qin had died “either from suicide or torture in late July, in the military hospital in Beijing that treats China’s top leaders.”

None of these reports were subsequently confirmed or verified.

In the latest assertion, an article published on Sep 8 by The Washington Post reported that Mr Qin had been “nominally assigned to a low-level job” at World Affairs Press, a state-owned publishing house affiliated with the Chinese foreign affairs ministry. The reported cited two unnamed former US government officials.

“The demotion … occurred sometime in the spring, (it) signifies a ‘fall from grace’ but also means (Mr Qin) is ‘off the hook,’ the report quoted the sources as saying. “He’s not going to jail, but his (political) career is over.” they added.

Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao published a story two days later, citing sources from the publisher confirming that it does have an employee named Qin Gang, but clarified that it is not the former foreign minister, only someone with the same name.