China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang was abruptly fired on Tuesday after a prolonged public absence and replaced by his predecessor in a surprising and highly unusual shakeup of the country's foreign policy leadership.
The sudden move, approved by China's top decision-making body parliament, comes as mystery has swirled around the fate of Qin, who has not been seen in public for a month, according to CNN.
Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, had been appointed foreign minister only in December after serving as China's ambassador to Washington.
No reason has yet been given for Qin's departure, but his predecessor Wang Yi will now step back into the role, authorities confirmed.
Wang, who was foreign minister from 2013 to 2022, now serves as director of the ruling Communist Party's foreign affairs wing, a position that makes him China's top diplomat.
The appointment of the new foreign minister was made during a meeting of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress on Tuesday. The meeting was suddenly announced on Monday in a departure from usual precedent.