China’s ‘wolf warrior’ foreign minister who went missing reportedly demoted to low-level job

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

China’s former foreign minister Qin Gang, who mysteriously disappeared from public view in the summer of 2023, has been demoted to a publishing job, according to a media report, signalling an end to his political career.

Mr Qin, 58, who was known for his “wolf warrior” diplomacy and regarded as one of Beijing’s most influential policymakers, was unceremoniously removed as foreign minister last July after a month-long disappearance from public view.

The former diplomat had been rapidly climbing the leadership ladder, serving as an ambassador to the US for 18 months before his appointment as foreign minister.

Since his demotion, Mr Qin has been working in a low-level job at World Affairs Press, a publishing house affiliated with the Chinese foreign ministry, anonymous US officials told the Washington Post.

His “fall from grace” means that “he’s off the hook”; he is not going to jail but “his career is over,” one official told the newspaper.

After Mr Qin’s disappearance, rumours swirled about his possible imprisonment, suicide, and an extramarital affair with a Chinese journalist, Fu Xiaotian, which might have posed a security risk.

After taking over as China’s youngest foreign minister since the 1950s, Mr Qin, now 58, served only 207 days in the position. He was replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi, who is 70.

It remains unclear why Mr Qin was removed. He was also recognised for being one of the first diplomats to speak aggressively in defence of China’s increasingly assertive foreign policy, a style known as “wolf warrior” diplomacy.

The Financial Times reported that Ms Fu, a host for the Chinese broadcaster Phoenix TV, based in Hong Kong, had a child delivered by a surrogate mother in the US, citing people close to the journalist and Chinese foreign policy establishment.

According to observers, Ms Fu’s celebrity lifestyle and social media presence, including posts about her travels on private jets with her son, potentially posed a security vulnerability for the Chinese Communist Party. It was also alleged that Beijing suspected her of passing secrets to a foreign intelligence service. The allegations have never been confirmed or supported by concrete evidence.

Mr Qin’s removal last year was part of an overhaul of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in which several officials were dismissed.

They included defence minister General Li Shangfu, who was subsequently investigated for corruption.

The Independent has been unable to reach Mr Qin or Ms Fu for comment. They have not commented publicly on the reports of their affair or Mr Qin’s removal from his post.