Silence fuels speculation on China’s Foreign Minister’s absence

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang's 23-day absence has sparked speculation both in China and abroad.

China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s 23-day absence in public has triggered speculation both within China and abroad, and ignited a debate on Beijing’s continuing policy of secrecy when it comes to the health and personal lives of leaders.

Official silence on the whereabouts of Mr. Qin, who last attended a meeting with his counterpart from Sri Lanka in Beijing on June 23, has become a hot topic on social media. The Chinese Foreign Ministry last week said in response to questions that Mr. Qin did not attend the East Asia Summit in Jakarta because of “health reasons”. However, both the question and response were scrubbed from the Foreign Ministry’s transcript of the day’s press conference, only fuelling further speculation. Subsequent questions on Mr. Qin’s health were not answered by official spokespersons, who said they had “no information” to provide.

Some within China have observed that opacity when it comes to top leaders only fuels speculation, and called for more transparency. Political rumours surrounding Mr. Qin are especially sensitive considering his proximity to President Xi Jinping. Mr. Qin, 56, was named as Foreign Minister in December, capping a meteoric rise. After having served as Mr. Xi’s top protocol officer and previously as a ministry spokesperson, Mr. Qin was sent to Washington by Mr. Xi for his first ambassadorial posting – an unprecedented promotion in China’s diplomatic history.

In early July, a visit to Beijing by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was cancelled. He was due to meet with Mr. Qin for talks. Mr. Qin’s predecessor Wang Yi, who was promoted last year to the Politburo and head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, attended meetings in Jakarta in Mr. Qin’s stead, including talks with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Apparently commenting on the speculation on Chinese Twitter-equivalent Weibo, former editor-in-chief of the Communist Party-run Global Times posted that “sometimes everyone is very concerned about a matter, but it cannot be discussed in the public opinion field.”

“Such situations should be as few as possible,” he added. “There will still be some matters that are sensitive or classified for a period of time, so it is not easy to discuss them publicly. This is understandable, but the duration of this situation should be as short as possible. In short, maintaining this environment needs to be balanced with respecting the public’s right to know…..Such information disclosure will promote the improvement of official credibility.”

The official policy of secrecy, particularly regarding the health of top leaders, has come under increasing pressure in the age of social media.