The Chinese Communist Party’s political bureau confirmed the dates for the third plenum of the 20th Central Committee during a meeting yesterday (27th). On that day, decisions regarding the handling of former Defense Ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe were announced. Li Shangfu is a current member of the Central Committee. However, the official statement did not mention the handling of another Central Committee member and former Foreign Minister, Qin Gang. There are rumors suggesting that Qin Gang may have simply been discreetly transferred to a subordinate foreign affairs unit, possibly downgraded to a deputy bureau level. Experts say that this possibility exists.
Yesterday, the official announcement released by state media about the Chinese Communist Party’s political bureau meeting stated that Li Shangfu has been expelled from the party. It is believed that the third plenum of the CCP will also confirm the expulsion of Li Shangfu’s party membership, likely revoking his position as a Central Committee member. Qin Gang, who was relieved of his position as Foreign Minister three months earlier than Li Shangfu (July 2023), has not received any announcements yet.
Qin Gang, a former State Councilor and once the youngest party-state leader within the CCP, was removed from his position as State Councilor last October at the same time as Li Shangfu. At the end of February this year, Qin Gang “resigned” from his role as a National People’s Congress delegate, rather than being “dismissed,” leading to speculations about a potential “soft landing.” Currently, Qin Gang only holds a position as a member of the Central Committee, and there are still uncertainties about how he will be handled during the third plenum.
Beijing veteran media figure Gao Yu commented on the official handling of Li Shangfu, stating, “Considering another Central Committee member awaiting handling, Qin Gang, there was no mention of him in the CCTV news. Perhaps the report will be delayed; perhaps the Central Committee member’s position is at risk, with the possibility of losing delegate qualifications for the 20th Congress, but retaining some flexibility regarding party membership? Maybe expulsion from the party, revocation of delegate qualifications for the 20th Congress will be confirmed next month, but he won’t be brought to justice?”
However, there are domestic reports suggesting that Qin Gang has been quietly reassigned to a secondary foreign affairs position as the president of the World Knowledge Publishing Society, but it is unconfirmed whether he has faced party disciplinary action. Another report claims that he holds the position of vice president, possibly being downgraded from a deputy national level to a deputy bureau level. Epoch Times attempted to verify this information with domestic sources, but confirmation has been elusive thus far.
According to the introduction on the website of the World Knowledge Publishing Society Co., Ltd. (referred to as “World Knowledge Society”), the company is an authoritative professional publishing media organization under the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs specializing in foreign affairs and international issues. The current chairman, general manager, and party committee secretary is Cui Chun.
Regarding the arrangement of Qin Gang’s demotion, Hu Ping, a scholar residing in the United States, believes that it is possible that he has been demoted and reassigned to a lower-level position, assigned to tasks that are not high-profile. Hu Ping told Epoch Times on June 28 that he suspects Qin Gang may be involved in extramarital affairs. However, according to the CCP’s party discipline, such matters still require disciplinary action. In the Communist Party, such situations are not uncommon, but they are usually not publicly exposed. However, in Qin Gang’s case, the incident couldn’t be covered up, leaving Xi Jinping with no choice but to address it.
“I think this is most likely the case. It’s unlikely to involve espionage, and corruption wouldn’t be severe enough to warrant significant repercussions. Corruption is prevalent in official circles, so his case is unlikely to be exceptionally serious. The main issue is the exposure of this scandal. Therefore, the handling of the situation will be different,” added Hu Ping.
Feng Chongyi, an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia, stated to Epoch Times that currently Xi Jinping does not feel he needs to explain Qin Gang’s situation publicly and can avoid giving any explanations. The decision not to publicize Qin Gang’s situation likely indicates some hidden difficulties, such as Qin Gang being privy to the CCP’s espionage activities in the United States without Xi Jinping’s prior knowledge, revealing that Xi does not have full control over the CCP’s military.
Additionally, the incident involving Qin Gang is linked to internal conflicts with Wang Yi, with the extramarital affair between Qin Gang and Fu Xiaotian being exposed. Feng Chongyi mentioned that Fu Xiaotian had an affair with Qin Gang, which occurred before Qin Gang was appointed as Foreign Minister by Xi Jinping. This revelation heavily damages Xi Jinping’s image in personnel selection, leading to a discreet handling of the situation.
Feng Chongyi believes that the final handling of Qin Gang by the authorities is still unknown and may only be addressed after the conclusion of the third plenum, allowing the situation to calm down before further actions are taken. As for the high-profile handling of Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe this time, it is believed to be a display of Xi’s authority and an attempt to demonstrate that he firmly controls the military.
Apart from Li Shangfu and Qin Gang, who are current Central Committee members, other previously dismissed Central Committee members include former Rocket Force Commander Li Yuchao, and candidates for the Central Committee include Yuan Jie, the former chairman of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.
Recently fallen Central Committee members also include Tang Renjian, former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs who was reported to have fallen from grace on May 18, and Li Shisong, a candidate for the Central Committee who was removed from his positions as Yunnan Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Governor on June 25. According to the usual process within the CCP, these individuals may not have their party membership issues quickly resolved following the Central Committee meeting.