- Qin Gang was once one of China's most powerful men.
- But the former foreign minister has suffered a spectacular fall from grace.
China's former foreign minister Qin Gang is working in a low-level publishing job after falling foul of China's leader Xi Jinping, The Washington Post reported.
Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the publication that Qin was now listed as an employee at World Affairs Press, a publishing company associated with China's foreign ministry.
The officials reportedly told the publication that the demotion took place in spring. One characterized it as a "fall from grace" but also said, "he's off the hook."
"He's not going to jail, but his career is over," one source told the Post.
One of the officials told the outlet that the demotion is likely intended as a warning to others.
Qin was formerly one of China's most powerful figures and a trusted aid of Xi, rising to the position of foreign minister and member of China's state council, the cabinet of China's top officials.
His rise to the top was swift. He was known as one of the most prominent of a new generation of "wolf warrior" officials, who brought an aggressive and confrontational style to China's diplomacy.
But his downfall was just as rapid. In June 2023, Qin disappeared from public view and officially resigned from his position in China's state legislature in February.
Rumors circulated about what had led to Qin's dismissal, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that Qin had been dismissed because he had an extramarital affair during his stint as China's ambassador to the US, sparking security concerns.
The Financial Times reported that the person Qin had an affair with was TV host Fu Xiaotian. Around that time, Fu reportedly had a child through surrogacy in the US, the report said.
Qin was replaced by his predecessor as foreign minister, veteran diplomat Wang Yi.
The Chinese embassy in the UK did not immediately respond to a request by Business Insider for comment.