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China removes Qin Gang as foreign minister after one-month absence
Xi Jinping’s Beijing administration appointed China’s top diplomat Wang Yi to replace Qin Gang as foreign minister, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported Tuesday, after the latter’s one-month absence. No reason was given for the dismissal. Qin, 57, made his last public appearance in Beijing on June 25, when he held talks with counterparts from Vietnam, Sri Lanka and key trade partner Russia. He progressively rose up the ranks of Beijing’s diplomatic service, including a two-year stint as ambassador to the United States, before being promoted to lead the foreign ministry in December. Speculation over ... (full story)