ANKARA: Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will visit Turkey on Wednesday for talks with the Turkish leadership, the Turkish Ministry for Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
Chinese FM to visit Ankara on Wednesday
In a statement, the Turkish Ministry said that Wang Yi and Hakan Fidan will discuss bilateral ties during the meeting. It maintained that current regional and international developments will also be discussed during the meeting of the two top diplomats.
Diplomatic ties between Beijing and Ankara were established in 1971. Bilateral ties were elevated to the level of “strategic cooperation” in 2010, Turkish media reported.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit Türkiye for talks, says Turkish Foreign Ministry https://t.co/ayfHm2Xpuf pic.twitter.com/qdeb8uSfmH
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) July 25, 2023
Earlier, China’s foreign minister Qin Gang has been removed from office, as reported by state media on Tuesday. In a move that has captured significant attention, China’s top legislature voted to appoint Wang Yi as the new foreign minister during a session held on Tuesday. The Chinese government had remained tight-lipped about Qin’s whereabouts, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously cited “health reasons” to explain his absence. However, this explanation failed to quell the flood of rumors circulating online, some of which suggested that Qin might be under investigation due to an alleged affair with a prominent television anchor.
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Qin Gang had been considered a close ally of President Xi Jinping and frequently interacted with him during his earlier role as chief of the foreign ministry’s protocol department. His promotion to key diplomatic positions, including as the US ambassador and later as foreign minister, was attributed to the trust and confidence Xi placed in him. As a fluent English speaker, Qin played an active role in defending China’s geopolitical positions during appearances in Washington and as a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry.
Despite Qin Gang’s removal, the specific reasons and circumstances surrounding his departure remain undisclosed. His absence impacted high-level diplomatic engagements, with visits by foreign officials being postponed due to the uncertainty surrounding Qin’s situation.
