China removed former foreign minister Qin Gang from the position after an investigation concluded that he had an affair and fathered a child while serving as US ambassador, the Wall Street Journal reported. Top officials were told in August that a Communist Party inquiry into Qin Gang uncovered “lifestyle issues,” the newspaper reported. Two people said that the affair led to the birth of a child in the US and the probe is now focusing on whether or not the affair compromised national security, as per the report.
China removed Qin Gang from his ministerial post in July, just seven months after he started the job. His tenure was the shortest in that role and no explanation was given for his removal as his predecessor Wang Yi was reinstated.
Read more: A brief history of the Khalistan movement’s emergence in Canada 45 years ago
The ruling Communist Party’s senior ranks are now being scrutinized for their dealings with foreigners, insiders said as per the report. The top brass in China’s military were also under the spotlight, they added.
Qin Gang was oversight of protocol at the foreign ministry in 2016. In 2021, he was sent to Washington where he was often seen embracing American culture openly- attending a baseball game and riding in a Tesla with Elon Musk, among other things.