Top Chinese envoy vanishes amid rumours of an affair with well-known TV presenter

China’s foreign affairs minister has seemingly disappeared from public view, fuelling speculation that he has engaged in an affair with a well-known television presenter.

Rumours are continuing to circulate that Qin Gang, known for his aggressive approach as one of the ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomats, may have fallen foul of the communist state’s leadership after only assuming the role in December.

Qin was elevated seamlessly through the ranks of China’s Communist Party, spending time as ambassador to the UK and US. He made a name for himself through his aggressive approach towards meetings with western officials.

But Qin has not been seen for several weeks now. His last public appearance was a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart on June 25. This is a peculiarly long time for a foreign minister not to be seen in public.

This has caused some to claim he may have engaged in an affair with a popular television presenter Fu Xiaotian, 40, who has also not been seen for some time after a flirtatious interview surfaced between them.

China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang attends a joint press conference with Norway’s Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt in Oslo in May

Fu Xiaotian is a presenter and producer of Talk With World Leaders on China’s Phoenix TV

China’s foreign ministry initially refused to comment on the minister’s apparent disappearance.

However, when he failed to show at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta, as he was scheduled to last week, the ministry cited ‘health reasons’. 

Wang Yi, Qin’s predecessor and now Xi Jinping’s foreign affairs advisor, stepped in instead, and even took over to hold talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

At the same time, television presenter Fu Xiaotian has also not been seen for some time, as well as her infant son.

The Cambridge-educated presenter is one of the most prominent figures on Chinese television and frequently interviews the state’s top officials.

This has caused rumours to circulate, especially in the Taiwan and Hong Kong press, that the two may have engaged in an affair.

Social media users pointed towards ‘affectionate flirting’ that was seen between Qin and Fu in an interview in Washington DC in March last year.

Users also noted Fu’s often flirtatious interview technique when speaking to politicians.

‘But when she turns her attention to a high-ranking Chinese official, she may have violated the Chinese Ministry of State Security’s regulations,’ one user said, as reported by The Times.

Television presenter Fu Xiaotian, 40, has also not been seen for some time after a flirtatious interview surfaced between her and Qin

Social media users pointed towards ‘affectionate flirting’ that was seen between Qin and Fu in an interview in Washington DC in March last year

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attends a joint press conference with German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Beijing Friday, April 14, 2023

Chinese human rights activist Lin Shengliang noted that Qin became China’s ambassador to the US in 2021. The supposedly ‘flirty’ interview took place in March 2022. Fu then gave birth to her child in November of that year.

Fu is then claimed to have shared a picture of her son on social media platform Weibo with the comment ‘a victorious opening’ when Qin was promoted to state councillor. This has caused some to speculate that she was congratulating the now-foreign minister.

Then, in her last social media post before she disappeared from public appearance, Fu shared pictures of a jet, a screen shot of the interview with Qin, and a picture of her with her son.

Engaging in affairs is not unusual for China’s top officials, but can be used as a pretext to remove those who have fallen foul of the leadership.