Wang Yi Replaces Qin Gang

Qin turfed out as Foreign Minister after only seven months

It was announced early this morning Vancouver time, but after only seven months on the job, Qin Gang is officially out as Foreign Minister and replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi.

The Central Committee made the decision, and did not elaborate on what will happen to Qin, or his other responsibilities as state councillor.

There are still questions as to why Qin was removed and why Wang has taken over, though he is the most steady choice -- given this latest move is an embarrassment for China's foreign affairs and for Xi, who had fast-tracked Qin as top diplomat.

Qin's predecessor Wang Yi replaces him

"The suddenness and opacity surrounding Qin's dismissal demonstrates the volatility that has now become a feature of China's political system under Xi," said Jude Blanchette, the holder of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Before the announcement there were numerous rumours flying around -- including that Qin had died of liver cancer, as the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said he had health problems. 

Richard McGregor, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney who studies Chinese foreign policy, said Xi was too powerful to suffer much damage from Qin's downfall.

"If there's any substance to the rumours, it's a reminder that in the party system, your private life can be as much subject to regulation as your public duties," McGregor said. "Though in this case, the conduct of an ambassador has national security implications."

China expert Bill Bishop suggests perhaps Wang is a temporary replacement until a younger official is chosen, though he is the most stable choice for now.

Wang met with Kerry recently in Beijing

"The removal of Qin may have happened faster than it would have for other officials who are under investigation because his unexplained absence was affecting diplomatic work and the PRC's image," Bishop wrote in his Sinocism newsletter.

He has also dismissed the health reason, otherwise it would have been mentioned in the announcement.

"The fact that Wang is picked to replace Qin as the country's new foreign minister in the middle of a major personnel crisis in mainland politics says a lot about Wang's close ties with the top leader," said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

But Wu said this was happening at a bad time for Beijing, when it was trying to ease tensions with the United States and its allies and reboot the economy.

"The saga has been a big embarrassment for China, that has exposed the non-transparent nature of China's close decision-making," he said.

The next time Qin is shown may be in court facing charges... and then perhaps never to be seen again...