China’s missing minister: Qin Gang’s gone, but Xi Jinping looks weaker too

The removal of Qin Gang, China’s youngest foreign minister several decades, and the 57-year-old’s mysterious month-long disappearance, have grabbed global headlines.

But while much of the speculation has focused on 57-year-old Qin and why he has been sacked – with records of his meetings as foreign minister erased from the Chinese foreign ministry website – this episode is about much more than a missing minister.

At its heart, this is about the unpredictability and opacity of…