Qin Gang: The abrupt fall from grace of China's rising star
One of the most visible figures in China's government, a rising star who was catapulted into the role of foreign minister by Xi Jinping himself, has been removed.
The announcement that Qin Gang had lost his job was massive news here, but it was delivered, typically, without fanfare and with very little detail.
Just a few sentences on Xinhua wire service - which were then read out on the main evening TV news bulletin - spelt the dramatic end of Mr Qin's time as the global public face of China, only half a year after he had been appointed.
About a month ago, he had disappeared from his normal duties and the official reason given for his absence was some sort of health issue.
However, as the weeks went on and he failed to re-emerge, speculation turned to the possibility that he was being punished for stepping out of line politically.
Then social media was abuzz with rumours of an affair with a female television presenter, normally quite active on social media, but who had also suddenly "disappeared".
Some China watchers have wondered if these two potential explanations could be combined: that rivals within the Communist Party have used this moral indiscretion to get him.
Such an affair would not be against the law, but it could be construed as a potential breach of Party discipline.
Then again, the possibility that an overwhelming health emergency played a part also can't be ruled out.
What's more, because of the extremely opaque nature of Communist Party governance in China, none of these options can be confirmed, nor can they be dismissed.
One of the most surprising aspects of Qin Gang's demise is that he was seen as having the clear backing of the country's all-powerful leader.
Xi Jinping brought him back from Washington, where he had been serving as ambassador to the US.
Immediately, analysts were watching his behaviour to see how much of a "wolf warrior" he might be in this new role. The wolf warriors were a group of Chinese diplomats who'd taken to social media in loud support of China, even if it meant abusing others as a means of turning attention away from the nation's woes.
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