TONGA: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that he expects to “work well” with China’s new Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, after Qin Gang was removed from office.
“I have also known Foreign Minister Wang Yi for more than ten years. I have met with Wang Yi repeatedly,” US Secretary of State Blinken said in reference to the new Foreign Minister of China.
US Secretary of State Says Expects to ‘Work Well’ with New Chinese FM
“It is significant for us to manage this relationship sensibly. That starts with engaging, that starts with diplomacy, and I will work with whoever the relevant Chinese counterpart is”, the US Secretary of State said.
Blinken said it was Beijing’s “sovereign decision” to remove Qin Gang.
“Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang was ambassador to the US. I got to know him when he was envoy. I had constructive talks with him in his role as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and I wish him well,” Blinken maintained.
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Qin Gang’s absence from the public had sparked speculations that he, considered a confidant of Chinese President Xi Jinping, had fallen from grace or was subject to probe.
Earlier, 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.
