The disappearance of China's foreign minister sends a worrying message to investors at home and abroad.
Qin Gang in Berlin, May 5, 2023. Credit: Thomas Trutschel/picture-alliance/dpa via AP Images
At the end of 2022, Qin Gang took up one of the most prominent positions in global politics, as minister of foreign affairs in China, the world’s second largest economy and Asia’s premier power. At the end of June, he disappeared from public view, with barely any official explanation.
In the ensuing weeks, wild rumors of an extremely negative nature about Qin flooded into this information vacuum, saturating the Chinese language internet. Official government channels did not even attempt to provide counter-narratives. Finally, in late July, we learned that Wang Yi — Qin’s predecessor who had last year been promoted to the influential Leading Group on Foreign Affairs — had returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to replace his erstwhile successor.
What are we to make of this series of puzzling events? In fact, there are both reassuring and disturbing aspects to this mysterious story.
If that is how the Chinese government treats trusted officials, how can pri
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