The recent removal of Qin Gang as China's foreign minister is the latest example of the opaqueness plaguing the country's politics. Beijing has given no clear explanation for why it dismissed Qin, whose whereabouts were unknown for one month before the news of his ouster broke. If China wants to boast about its global influence, it bears a serious responsibility to explain such impactful actions to the international community.
The government of Chinese President Xi Jinping has a record of firing many high-ranking officials in its campaign to root out corruption. But even taking that into account, it is extremely unusual for a top diplomat to be suddenly removed.
