China's sharp-tongued foreign minister is ousted, but his combative style is expected to continue
China’s sharp-tongued foreign minister, Qin Gang, was something of an avatar for nationalist Communist Party leader and President Xi Jinping, warning of “conflict and confrontation” with the U_S_, the stakes of which could be the “future of humanity.”
BEIJING (AP) — China’s sharp-tongued foreign minister, Qin Gang, was something of an avatar for nationalist Communist Party leader and President Xi Jinping, warning of “conflict and confrontation” with the U.S., the stakes of which could be the "future of humanity.”
Now, Qin has been dismissed from office in the biggest political tumult to strike China in a decade.
Qin’s departure was announced Tuesday after a month-long disappearance from public view, sparking rumors of personal scandals or friction within the top party echelons. He was absent from key meetings as the U.S. sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other officials to Beijing.
It also comes during economic challenges and poor relations with the United States and other nations that China relies on for economic development but is also seeking to push aside in its drive to overcome the Western-led economic order.
