Xi Jinping's Favorite Falls into Scandal... Former Chinese Minister Working at Publishing House?

Suddenly Disappeared... Three Months After Promotion to Cabinet Member
Affair with Hong Kong Announcer Pu Shaotian
Presumed Dismissal Due to Personal Life Issues

Qin Gang, former Chinese Foreign Minister. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

It has been revealed that the Chinese Foreign Minister who disappeared from the public eye a year ago has been demoted to a lower position.

On the 8th (local time), the Washington Post (WP) reported, "Rumors that former official Qin Gang was imprisoned or committed suicide are not true. He is currently holding a lower-ranking position under the 'World Knowledge Publishing House,' which is under the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs." According to the report, his demotion took place this spring, and it appears he avoided severe punishments such as capital or prison sentences. A U.S. government official who requested anonymity said, "He will no longer go to prison, but his career is over," adding that this action serves as a warning to other officials.

Qin Gang, who symbolized China's 'Wolf Warrior' diplomacy, was rapidly appointed as Foreign Minister at the end of 2022, favored by President Xi Jinping. In March of last year, he was further promoted to State Councilor, but about three months later, he was suddenly dismissed. At that time, various speculations such as imprisonment, death, and extramarital affairs circulated. The Chinese authorities stripped Qin Gang of his Foreign Minister and State Councilor positions without any official statement. WP claimed this was because "he fathered an illegitimate child in the United States with his mistress, Fu Xiaotian, an announcer at Hong Kong's Phoenix TV."

In the past, China protected the private lives of high-ranking officials through media censorship, so personal issues were rarely considered serious crimes. However, as President Xi Jinping intensified the crackdown on corruption among the elite, Qin Gang's extramarital affair with Fu Xiaotian reportedly became a problem. Like Qin Gang, Fu Xiaotian has also disappeared from public view for over a year.

Meanwhile, Fu Xiaotian hosted the program "Conversations with World Leaders" on China's satellite broadcaster Phoenix TV from 2014 to 2022, conducting interviews with famous figures such as former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Her last interview subject was Qin Gang, then serving as China's ambassador to the United States, in March 2022.