Media frenzy engulfs Foreign Minister Qin Gang
Rumors rife that China’s former ambassador to Washington was ‘under investigation for having an affair’
Infatuation, intrigue and even allegations of falling for an alleged spy.
As the rumor mill grinds on, speculation about China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has captivated the chattering classes on social media following his disappearance three weeks ago.
His last public sighting was at a meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in Beijing in June. Since then, gossip and innuendo have swirled around the whereabouts of President Xi Jinping’s protege.
Mainstream media have even joined the frenzy in the hunt for Qin after China’s Twitter-like Weibo social media site appeared to censor searches for his name.
Rumors are rife, including claims that the former Chinese ambassador to Washington was “under investigation for having an extramarital affair with Phoenix TV reporter Fu Xiaotian.”
The allegations appeared in The Times of London before being picked up by other British newspapers.
“Social media users noted Fu’s often flirtatious interview technique when speaking to politicians [and her] interview [with Qin] in Washington last year,” the Daily Mail reported.
“But when she turns her attention to a high-ranking Chinese official, she may have violated the Chinese Ministry of State Security’s regulations,” one user said, as reported by The Times.
Qin was single-handedly pulled up the ranks by Xi.
Deng Yuwen, a former editor at a Communist Party newspaper
Between the lines:
- Phoenix Television is a major Chinese broadcaster headquartered in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
- Fu, 40, is Cambridge-educated and still has close links with the prestigious British university.
- She is one of the most prominent presenters on Chinese television and frequently interviews senior officials.
- Fu has also reportedly “disappeared from public view.”
Delve deeper: “The Chinese government has not denied rumors of an affair between Qin and [the] high-powered and well-connected Fu, who is suspected of being a double agent,” Asia Sentinel, an independent news site, reported on Tuesday, adding that a source said she is “alleged to have links to British intelligence.”
Why it matters: Foreign Minister Qin’s close ties to his big boss Xi have only added to a “sensitive” situation. The 57-year-old’s meteoric rise has put him on the fast track to replace Wang Yi as China’s top diplomat inside the highly secretive Communist Party.
Big Picture: “Qin was single-handedly pulled up the ranks by Xi. Any problems with him will reflect badly on Xi too – implying that Xi failed to choose the right person for the job,” Deng Yuwen, a former editor at a Communist Party newspaper who now lives in the United States, told the CNN network.
China Factor comment: Last month, Qin played a key role in trying to ease Beijing’s rocky relationship with Washington in high-level talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Days later he went missing. Watch this space.