For weeks now, the world has been wondering about the absence of China’s foreign minister, who was last seen publicly on 25 June. Now we have an answer of sorts… Qin Gang has been officially removed from his post and replaced by the man who previously held the job, Wang Yi. Qin was seen as a rising star in China’s Communist Party with a close relationship to Chinese President Xi Jinping that saw him chosen to take a top position in the government. The last time Qin was talked about much was when he met with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – that was a bit of a breakthrough moment last month after the America-China relationship hit another rough patch. No reason has been given for Qin’s removal from office, and international observers say it’s another example of how difficult it can be to build diplomatic relationships with China.