Qin Gang Resigns From China’s Legislature

Former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, whose disappearance from the public eye and replacement as foreign minister last year sparked rumors, has officially resigned from the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s rubber-stamp parliament, James Palmer reported for Foreign Policy’s China Brief.

The resignation suggests that Qin’s fall from grace is relatively cushioned, adding weight to the theory that he was removed because of the personal blunder of an extramarital affair. I Photo: U.S. Department of State

The NPC meets for only a few days each year, and being a delegate is effectively an honorary title. But it is significant that Qin was allowed to resign rather than being removed from the NPC, as with other fallen officials.

The resignation suggests that Qin’s fall from grace is relatively cushioned, adding weight to the theory that he was removed because of the personal blunder of an extramarital affair—and discrediting rumors of espionage charges or even summary execution.

Qin’s wife is also reportedly friends with First Lady Peng Liyuan, suggesting a back channel to Xi. Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Li Shangfu has been removed from another post, playing out another slow and mysterious fall.

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