China’s former foreign minister Qin Gang, who stepped down in July, had an extramarital affair during his time as ambassador to the United States, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. quoted people familiar with the matter.
The article said Mr. Qin was cooperating with an investigation that focused on whether the relationship he had had had compromised China’s national security.
Senior Chinese officials have been informed that an internal Communist Party investigation had revealed that Mr. Qin had the relationship throughout his tenure as China’s ambassador to the United States, the article said. The newspaper learned from two sources that the relationship produced a child in the United States.
During a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked about this article and said that: “regarding the appointment and removal of the Chinese foreign minister, the Chinese side has provided information earlier and I am not aware of the other information you mentioned”.
Mr. Qin was replaced as foreign minister by experienced diplomat Wang Yi in July after a mysterious month-long absence from the ministerial post, in which he was not yet a year old.
He was the top Chinese diplomat in Washington from July 2021 to January this year.
