Bloomberg: UK FM didn't make it to Beijing because his Chinese colleague went missing
The trip of British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley, which was scheduled for late July, has been postponed for unusual reasons. According to Bloomberg, plans had to be adjusted after top Chinese diplomat Qin Gang disappeared from public space.
The agency clarified that Qin Gang had not been seen in public for several weeks. This led to a lot of speculation in the media.
Two of three Bloomberg sources named the missing diplomat as the main reason for the postponed trip, a third said that Qin Gang's absence was one of the factors.
London and Beijing are now agreeing on new dates for the visit. The foreign ministries of the two countries refrain from official comments on the situation.
Earlier, Politico published information about the preparations for the first visit of the British Foreign Minister to China in more than five years. Cleverly later confirmed that such plans existed.
In early summer, Bloomberg reported on attempts by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to covertly restore Britain's relations with China. According to the agency, earlier he sent the Minister of Commerce to Hong Kong. Another of his envoys in Beijing was supposed to iron out differences with the Chinese government.