China removes its outspoken foreign minister, fueling rumors of rivalries within the Communist Party
China has removed the country's outspoken foreign minister, Qin Gang, from office and replaced him with his predecessor, Wang Yi BEIJING -- China removed outspoken Foreign Minister Qin Gang from office on Tuesday and replaced him with his predecessor, Wang Yi, in a move that has already fueled rumors over the personal lives and political rivalries of China's Communist Party elite. In its announcement on the national evening news, state broadcaster CCTV gave no reason for Qin’s removal. He had dropped out of sight almost a month ago and the Foreign Ministry has provided no information about his status. That is in keeping with the ruling Communist Party’s standard approach to personnel matters within a highly opaque political system where the media and free speech are severely restricted. The ministry made no comment at its daily briefing on Tuesday. The move comes amid a foreign backlash against China's increasingly aggressive foreign policy, of which Qin was a chief pr...