Chinese foreign minister’s ouster should give India pause

livemint.com:

G20 Summit at Bali last October. India’s foreign ministry spokesperson reiterated that the two leaders exchanged courtesies but also spoke of the need to stabilise bilateral ties. Meanwhile, Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar and Doval himself have repeatedly told their Chinese interlocutors that the relationship could not return to normal without resolving the situation at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh that arose from Chinese transgressions beginning in April 2020.

But even leaving aside India’s own experiences with China, including the latter’s violations of bilateral treaties and agreements, there is now even more reason to be cautious of any agreements with the Chinese, given the Qin Gang incident. Whatever the reasons for Qin’s disappearance – whether ill-health (the Chinese foreign ministry’s earlier references to this have been scrubbed) or moral turpitude (he is alleged to have had an extra-marital affair with a high-profile TV anchor) – the fact is that one China’s most prominent faces to the outside world disappeared, without explanation, less than seven months into the job. Consider what this says about stability in the Chinese political system.

Qin shot up through the ranks due to his supposed closeness to Xi Jinping. As China’s tough anti-corruption agenda – launched when Xi came to power in 2012 – has progressed, it seems that no one will be spared. But whether this is the result of a genuine moral crusade or increasing paranoia at the top remains to be seen.