Former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s Invitation Transferred to Successor Wang Yi by the United States

On August 1, the United States announced that the invitation extended to former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has been transferred to his successor, Wang Yi, who was appointed to the position last week.

Mr. Qin had been removed from his post on July 25, just seven months after assuming the position and a month after disappearing from the public eye. The last time he was seen in state media was on June 25, when he welcomed diplomats from Russia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has reappointed Wang Yi as China’s foreign minister, a position he previously held for ten years until the end of 2022. No official explanation was given for the personnel change.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed that the United States had extended an invitation to Wang during a meeting between Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Yang Tao, Director-General of North American and Oceania Affairs at China’s Foreign Ministry, on July 31.

“We extended the invitation that had previously been made to the former foreign minister, Qin Gang, and made clear that the invitation did transfer over to Minister Yi,” Miller stated.

The initial invitation was extended to Mr. Qin during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing on June 18, where both sides agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time.

When asked if Wang Yi had accepted the invitation, Miller stated that it would be up to Beijing to address their side of the matter, but he expressed the United States’ expectation that the visit would take place.

Kritenbrink’s meeting with Yang in Washington took place amid the Biden administration’s efforts to improve ties with China. The meeting included Sarah Beran, the National Security Council senior director for China and Taiwan Affairs. During the meeting, the two sides engaged in candid and productive discussions on bilateral, global, and regional issues, including the situation with Russia’s war against Ukraine and cross-Strait issues.

The sudden absence of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang remains shrouded in mystery, with China’s foreign ministry spokesperson attributing it to “health reasons.” Speculation regarding his whereabouts and the reason for his departure continues, with some suggesting it may be related to political infighting within the CCP.

The United States’ anticipation of a visit from Minister Wang Yi demonstrates their ongoing efforts to improve relations with China, as several top U.S. diplomats have visited Beijing in recent months for meetings with Chinese officials.