In China, someone must be blamed even though the inability to anticipate Joe Biden’s remarks about Xi Jinping is a collective mistake. Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang is considered to lack competence in diplomacy.
International diplomacy is indeed unique. Diplomacy of this kind is not the same as personal relationships. What is said in private does not guarantee anything, especially when it comes to international relations. Qin Gang, the Chinese Foreign Minister who served for less than seven months, is believed to have fallen victim to his misjudgment about the United States.
He received a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which was initiated by Qin. It is suspected that, thanks to his role as China’s Ambassador to the U.S. since July 2021, he had regular communication with Blinken. From this, Qin believed that Blinken’s visit would pave the way for good relations.
However, only a day after Blinken’s visit and meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, the positive atmosphere drastically changed due to U.S. President Joe Biden suddenly accusing President Xi Jinping of being a dictator.
Qin’s misjudgment about the U.S. is believed to have led President Xi to dismiss him from the position of Foreign Minister. But it’s not just Qin who is at fault. The world was also mistaken in hoping for a significant improvement in U.S.-China relations. So far, there has been no improvement in U.S.-China relations, and it is not expected to improve in the future.
China itself made mistakes in assessing the U.S. Jack Ma, a renowned Chinese businessman, once acted as a bridge between President Donald Trump and President Xi on the business side. However, Jack Ma’s efforts failed. Trump launched a trade war with China, imposing tariffs and economic sanctions on the country. Jack Ma even stated, “There is something hidden behind the U.S.-China relations, and it will take more than 20 years to solve it.”
Jack Ma seems to have a stronger sense of diplomacy. Similarly, political expert John Mearsheimer from the University of Chicago repeatedly asserted that China’s rise would not occur peacefully. Mearsheimer’s statement is based on empirical evidence, where the rise of a new power (China) will be resisted by the existing power (the U.S.), leading to disruptions in bilateral relations between the two major geopolitical powers due to jealousy.
Misplaced Euphoria
Qin, a career diplomat in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and appointed as China’s Foreign Minister in December 2022, seems to lack a deep understanding of diplomacy. Once again, it was Qin who paved the way for Blinken’s visit to Beijing on June 18, 2023. This was the first visit of a U.S. Secretary of State to China since 2018.
The icy relationship between the U.S. and China has been escalating lately, and even crucial military contacts are at a standstill, reflecting the ongoing struggle between the two historical geopolitical powers. Through Qin, the U.S. and China attempted to explore improving relations, which led to Blinken’s visit to Beijing.
Blinken was initially welcomed by Qin, followed by a meeting with Wang Yi, former Chinese Foreign Minister and current Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China. This was followed by a meeting between Blinken and President Xi on the same day in Beijing.
The meetings seemed to go well, and the world was pleased. After the visit, Chinese media expressed euphoria. Extensive coverage of Blinken’s visit was presented. On June 19, 2023, The Global Times, a government-affiliated publication affiliated with the People’s Daily, mentioned Qin and Blinken’s meeting as a great success on its front page.
The following day, June 20, 2023, Cankao Xiaoxi, owned by Xinhua News Agency, featured a large photo of Blinken shaking hands with President Xi on its front page. This extensive coverage in the Chinese media also attributed the successful meeting to Qin’s contribution.
Suddenly, Biden referred to President Xi as a dictator. The statement, made on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, was highly surprising.
However, for some, Biden’s remarks were related to China’s treatment during Blinken’s visit. He had to wait for confirmation of his meeting with Xi, which was seen as a symbol of U.S. weakness in the face of China. The U.S. media regarded China as having humiliated the U.S. through Blinken, who had to wait for hours for a confirmed meeting.
Another issue was the format of the meeting between Blinken’s delegation and Xi. The meeting was in a U-shape format, with Blinken’s team facing Qin Gang’s team, which also included Wang Yi. This meeting format was perceived as if Blinken was just a representative of a state department, listening to a “lecture” from President Xi.
Qin Sacrificed
Regardless of the reasons behind Biden’s use of the term “dictator” for Xi, China was greatly shocked. For China, such a label should not have emerged when relations were already strained. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, led by Qin, should have been able to control such issues, including preventing Biden’s remarks.
China’s Ambassador to the U.S., Xie Feng, protested the White House and the U.S. State Department on July 22, 2023, regarding Biden’s remarks. Chinese leaders were deeply unsettled by Biden’s statement. The Chinese Foreign Ministry was also considered to have failed to respond appropriately to restore dignity after Biden’s remarks.
Inside China, someone must be blamed, even though there shouldn’t be anyone to blame as it was a collective mistake. This is called a collective mistake because they all thought that Blinken would bring true peace. Nevertheless, someone had to be blamed within China, and the target was Qin. He was the first contact with Blinken before the meeting between Blinken and Wang Yi and President Xi on June 18-19, 2023.
Qin is considered to lack competence in diplomacy. He is dubbed as a Foreign Minister who lacks understanding of the U.S. He can be said to have easily believed in Blinken before the meeting on July 18, 2023. Thus, Qin was dismissed as Foreign Minister on July 25, 2023.
Suspected Scandal Involvement
There are other allegations stating that Qin was dismissed due to scandal reasons. There are allegations of Qin being involved in extramarital affairs. Other rumors suggest that Qin was involved in corruption. When news of his dismissal came out, the Communist Party of China was amending its anti-corruption laws.
However, if the case was about extramarital affairs or bribery, it should have been known before his appointment as Foreign Minister in December 2022. Investigations into potential officials in China are thorough, exceeding the scrutiny conducted by other countries.
Another fact is that he was dismissed on July 25. However, he had disappeared from public view since June 25, just a few days after Biden’s remarks.
Regardless of the reason for Qin’s dismissal, the likelihood of it remaining a secret is high. However, his diplomatic case with the U.S., whether it was the accurate reason behind his dismissal or not, serves as an important lesson.
In diplomacy, it is difficult to guarantee that words spoken align with actions in reality. The impression that the U.S. intended to reconcile with China through Blinken’s visit and was believed by many to be a significant breakthrough could suddenly leave everyone disappointed.
