China removed outspoken foreign minister Qin Gang from office and replaced him with his predecessor, Wang Yi.
57-year-old Qin became one of the country's youngest Foreign Ministers on his appointment in December 2022 after a brief stint as US ambassador.
The move has already fuelled rumours over the personal lives and political rivalries of China's Communist Party elite.
Here's a look at the controversy; and other Chinese public figures who disappeared.