China says its foreign minister is ill. A senior diplomat will take his place at ASEAN
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is ill and the country's senior diplomat will take his place at a two-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week in Jakarta, Indonesia
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is unwell and the country’s senior diplomat will take his place at a two-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin gave no details of what was ailing Qin, who has not been seen in public in more than two weeks.
“State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang is unable to attend this series of foreign ministers’ meetings due to health reasons,” Wang said at a daily briefing Tuesday.
Wang Yi, a former foreign minister and the current head of the ruling Communist Party's Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, will represent China at the meetings Thursday and Friday, Wang Wenbin said.
