Drama in Beijing and Wang Yi's Return to the Spearhead of Chinese Diplomacy

In terms of foreign policy, nothing has changed with the change of China's foreign minister. However, the public remains curious. What really happened in Beijing?

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI.

AP PHOTO/TATAN SYUFLANA

Director of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi (center) waiting for the start of a trilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta on July 12, 2023. China, on Tuesday (25/7/2023), appointed Wang as Foreign Minister, replacing Qin Gang who was dismissed.

The return of Wang Yi as the Foreign Minister of China, replacing Qin Gang who served for less than seven months, has raised questions among the public about the turmoil in the Communist Party of China's politburo. Qin (57) was appointed as the Foreign Minister in December 2022. He was considered the youngest person to hold that position.

Now, with Wang (69) back in his position as Foreign Minister and Director of the Central Foreign Policy Commission PKC, it is estimated that China's foreign policy will focus more on Asia rather than prioritizing improving relations with the United States.

Read also: Unseen Month, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang removed, Wang Yi replaced

The resignation of Qin from the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs was not accompanied by any explanation from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a result, various wild theories emerged in cyberspace spread by netizens. Photos of Qin sleeping during several CCP meetings also surfaced, resulting in rumors that he was unhealthy. Furthermore, some people claimed that he had an affair with a woman and fathered a baby boy.

Netizens also connect Qin's disappearance from circulation with the case of Chinese female tennis player, Peng Shuai, at the end of 2021. Peng (37) posted on social media that she had been harassed by Zhang Gaoli (77), a former Chinese Vice Premier. Both have since disappeared from circulation until now.

Also read: Peng Shuai Denies Ever Harassment, WTA Still Requests Investigation

Regarding Qin, human rights activist Lin Shengliang posted on Weibo social media that on the day Qin was appointed as a member of the CCP Central Committee, Phoenix TV broadcaster Fu Xiaotian posted a photo of himself with his baby boy with the text "a victorious day."

KOMPAS/LARASWATI ARIADNE ANWAR

The Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang gave a press statement at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Jakarta on February 22, 2023, after meeting with President Joko Widodo and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Previously, netizens had suspected that Qin and Fu had a relationship because in March 2023, Phoenix TV broadcast Fu's interview with Qin. In the interview, the two seemed very close, even making jokes to each other.

“The problem is, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs doesn't comment at all. They should be able to say that the netizens' accusations were mere gossip, but there was no response from the government at all, causing the public to speculate more. It doesn't help straighten information,” said Fang Zhouzi, a Chinese writer who pioneered the anti-hoax and disinformation movement in the country, as quoted by the New York Post newspaper, Wednesday (26/7/2023).

Neil Thomas, an expert on China studies at the Asian Institute of Public Policy (ASPI), told the Washington Post newspaper that the Chinese government's silence had actually tarnished their credibility. The global community can doubt China's diplomatic ability if everything is done in secret. The questions that arise in the public are even more because Beijing does not provide any answers.

Until now, there has been no explanation from Beijing whether Wang Yi will continue to serve as Foreign Minister or be replaced by young blood.

Until now, there has been no explanation from Beijing on whether Wang Yi will continue to serve as foreign minister or be replaced by younger blood. There is speculation that former Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, will be promoted to replace Qin. Zhao was transferred to the Department of Border and Marine Affairs at the end of 2022.

Public discussions speculated that Zhao was transferred because of the behavior of his wife, Tang Tianru. Photos of Tang traveling in Germany are circulating, while the whole of China is experiencing very strict social restrictions amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, Tang in December 2022 uploaded a post on Weibo, which complained about the difficulty of obtaining fever-reducing medication during the pandemic. The post was deleted shortly thereafter, but netizens had already captured screenshots of it.

REUTERS/CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS

The Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian, attended a press conference in Beijing, China, on April 8, 2020. Since the end of 2022, he was transferred to the Department of Border and Maritime Affairs.

US journalist and China observer, Bill Bishop, wrote on the Sinocism website, which contains social-political studies on China, that it is unlikely for Zhao to replace Qin as foreign minister. This is because Zhao is one of the "wolf warrior" diplomats from China who are fierce on social media and like to discredit people who criticize Beijing's policies.

Also read: The US-China Confrontation Can Ease If Everyone Returns to the Xi-Biden Meeting in Bali

"Qin himself is also a wolf warrior, but he is much more diplomatic than Zhao because he was once the Chinese Ambassador to the US. Considering the current state of US-China relations at their lowest point and Washington has sent three officials to Beijing, it seems that China is avoiding the appointment of a confrontational foreign minister," said Bishop.

Three US officials who visited Beijing in 2023 were Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. Additionally, last week, Beijing welcomed the arrival of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Xi Jinping entertained Kissinger, whom he referred to as a long-time friend of Beijing.

Focus on Asia

While Wang Yi returns to hold the position of foreign minister, observers of China's issues predict that Beijing's foreign policy maneuvers will remain focused on Asia. Wang previously served as foreign minister during the period of 2013-2022. He is an expert in Japanese studies who is known for his critical thinking during his time in academia as well as in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When they were appointed foreign ministers in 2013, China and Japan were tense over the dispute in the East China Sea. "It is very clear that the appointment of Wang as Foreign Minister shows that Beijing's priority is in Asia," Professor of International Relations at the University of British Columbia, Canada, Paul Evans, told the March 18, 2013 edition of Christian Science Monitor.

AFP/POOL/FLORENCE LO

Center Policy Director of the Communist Party of China's Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi (right) shakes hands before starting a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on July 18, 2023.

On July 4, 2023, Wang, the Director of the Central Commission for Foreign Policy (PKC), attended the Trilateral International Cooperation Forum in Qingdao. In his welcoming speech, he told delegates from Japan and South Korea that they were too close to the West, especially the US.

Also read: ASEAN-China Accelerates South China Sea CoC Negotiations

"The Western people cannot distinguish between Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people. No matter how hard you try to sharpen your nose and enlarge your eyelids, you will still be Asian inside. Therefore, let us strengthen the cooperation among Asian countries," said Wang. The speech video was broadcasted by mainstream Chinese media affiliated with the government."

China's position is also strengthened by its position in the Russia-Ukraine war which has been ongoing since February 24, 2022. The proximity between Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is evident when they frequently engage in dialogue on the sidelines of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta on July 11-14, 2023.