Where is Qin Gang? Chinese foreign minister not seen in public for three weeks
Dubbed one of China's most prominent "wolf warrior" diplomats and a trusted aide of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Qin Gang's prolonged absence has fuelled speculation online.
Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public for about three weeks, fuelling speculation about his absence and rumours of an extramarital affair.
The 57-year-old did not attend an ASEAN summit in Jakarta last week, with a ministry spokesperson saying on Jul 11 that he is skipping the meetings due to "health reasons".
According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qin's last public engagements were with officials from Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Russia in Beijing on Jun 25.
He also held "candid, in-depth and constructive" talks with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Jun 18, amid strained ties between the world's two largest economies.
He has yet to be seen attending official engagements since. Here's what is known about Qin Gang and his rise to become China's foreign minister.
WHO IS QIN GANG?
A trusted aide of President Xi Jinping, Qin was appointed China's foreign minister in December 2022. The Tianjin native took over the role from top diplomat Wang Yi, who has been the face of Chinese diplomacy since 2013.
Prior to his role as foreign minister, Qin served as China's ambassador to the United States in 2021.
His stint lasted 17 months, compared with his predecessor Cui Tiankai who held the role for eight years.
Qin has held various positions in China's foreign ministry, including two runs as ministry spokesman between 2005 and 2014. He also worked closely with Xi when he was chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018.
"WOLF WARRIOR"
As a ministry spokesman, Qin stood out among his peers for being one of the earliest Chinese diplomats to make sharp comments in defence of China's increasingly assertive foreign policy - what later became known as "wolf warrior" diplomacy.
The "wolf warrior" nickname is given to Chinese diplomats who respond vehemently to Western nations they perceive as hostile.
He said in 2020 that the image of China in the West had deteriorated because Europeans and Americans - in particular the media - had never accepted the Chinese political system or its economic rise.
And during a news conference on the sidelines of an annual parliament meeting in Beijing in March this year, Qin made another robust defence of "wolf warrior diplomacy".
"When jackals and wolves are blocking the way, and hungry wolves are attacking us, Chinese diplomats must then dance with the wolves and protect and defend our home and country," he said then.
Despite the strong stance, the career diplomat also played a key role in efforts by China and the United States to stabilise and thaw frosty ties.
He displayed a willingness to work with the US, declaring upon his arrival in Washington in July 2021 after a period of unusual public vitriol between senior US and Chinese officials, that relations held "great opportunities and potential".
WHERE IS QIN GANG?
It was reported last week that Qin would not be attending a foreign ministers' meeting in Indonesia.
His ministry put it down to "health reasons" and said that Wang Yi would represent China at the meetings instead. The ministry spokesperson did not elaborate on what these health reasons were.
While Qin as foreign minister is the government's foreign policy chief, Wang ranks above him. The veteran diplomat was promoted to the Chinese Communist Party's politburo and named its top foreign policy chief.
Qin was also supposed to meet European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Beijing on Jul 10. However, the EU announced on Jul 5 that China cancelled Borrell's visit, without saying why.
Qin's prolonged absence had not gone unnoticed and has been picked up by several news outlets including US political news website Politico.
His ministry's vague explanation has failed to quell speculation as to why their boss has been out of the limelight.
US-based analyst, Deng Yuwen told CNN that the rumours were driven by a lack of transparency in the Chinese political system.
Unsubstantiated rumours shared on social media included speculations of an affair with Fu Xiaotian, a TV reporter from state-owned Phoenix Television.
Fu had previously interviewed Qin on Phoenix TV's Talk with World Leaders in March 2022.
Attention on Twitter this week turned to a tweet shared by Fu in April this year.
In her first tweet in nine months, she shared photos of what appeared to be a private jet in Los Angeles and a photograph of her young child.
According to Qin's profile on the Chinese foreign ministry's website, he is married with a son.