BEIJING – China’s shortest-serving foreign minister, Mr Qin Gang, has officially stepped down from the country’s top legislative body, months after he was removed from his position, and has not been seen in public since. 

The Standing Committee of the Tianjin Municipal People’s Congress has accepted Mr Qin’s resignation, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Feb 27.

The report did not say why he resigned. 

Beijing has disclosed little about Mr Qin’s status and whereabouts.

The latest move means he will lose immunity from criminal prosecution, although he has not been officially accused of any wrongdoings.

Mr Qin, who was handpicked by President Xi Jinping, was abruptly removed in July 2023 after just seven months into the job.

China initially said he would skip an international gathering of top diplomats because of a “physical condition”.

The Wall Street Journal reported that an investigation found that Mr Qin had an affair while serving as the United States ambassador that could have endangered national security. No inquiry has been announced.

Mr Fu Cong, China’s Ambassador to the European Union, dismissed concern over Mr Qin’s ouster in an interview with Bloomberg News in January, saying a personnel change is not uncommon and that it does not signify a change in China’s policy. 

Mr Qin remains a member of the Communist Party’s decision-making central committee.

Beijing also announced the removal of Mr Feng Jiehong and Mr Li Zhizhong from the national Parliament.

Mr Feng was chairman at two units under China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a state-owned firm that produces missile systems.

Mr Li was once the head of the army’s equipment development department. BLOOMBERG