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> The unexplained disappearance and removal of China’s foreign and defense ministers — both Xi loyalists who were handpicked and elevated mere months before the

> The unexplained disappearance and removal of China’s foreign and defense ministers — both Xi loyalists who were handpicked and elevated mere months before they went missing This is not unexplained. Apparently the story with Qin Gang (foreign minister) is that he got compromised and sensitive information leaked to the US through him. If so, his case is not one of 'Stalinian purge' but one of an embarrassing national security breach. It gets even better as the rumor is that Russia tipped off China (true tip or elaborate machination?) possibly to influence its stance on Ukraine [1] [1] https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Analysis-Did-Putin-s-tip-lead-Xi-to-purge-his-foreign-minister https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Analys...

jevoten 3y ago
Stalin's purges extensively utilized false accusations and show trials, so there being a plausible story for each individual disappearance/conviction doesn't make this not a purge.
- mytailorisrich 3y ago
  Equally, it's bad reporting to paint everything a Stalinian purge without the subtlety of the possible full story, not least when Russia may be involved. Edit: a purge as practiced by Staline was to increase and solidify his personal power. There may be a similar dynamic at play here but at least in Qin Gang's case it seems to be much more complex. Simplistic and sensationalist labels prevent us from digging deeper into the interesting bit.
  - gargablegar 3y ago
    They do make all the above points in the article - including that it’s hard to verify this information. Comparing it to Stalin is pretty apt - communist party with a figure head trying to hold onto power. Seems like more than just one person vanished and it’s all under totally opaque circumstances.
    - mytailorisrich 3y ago
      If the information is difficult to verify the correct way is to be measured. My main gripe here is the sensationalist take on complex issues, starting with the over-the-top title. This could have been a substantive and interesting discussion... Edit: I tried to look past the clickbaity title to get to the interesting part, which I think to find the reason for specific people being 'purged'. Alas it is apparently not possible...
      - foldr 3y ago
        The lack of information is the point. In a Western democracy, government ministers don't just go missing without any official explanation for their disappearance. (I am not suggesting that such official explanations are always true, but they at least exist.)
        MichaelZuo 3y ago
        Here's an example from Australia: "On 17 December 1967, Harold Holt, the 17th prime minister of Australia, disappeared while swimming in the sea near Portsea, Victoria. An enormous search operation was mounted in and around Cheviot Beach, but his body was never recovered."
        foldr 3y ago
        He went for a swim and drowned. The facts of his disappearance are known and fully acknowledged insofar as anyone has been able to discover them. That's hardly an equivalent scenario to that of, e.g., Li Shangfu.
        MichaelZuo 3y ago
        Did you even read the entire comment? It clearly says his body was never recovered, so 'the facts of his disappearance' are not fully known, by definition. Anyways, there's dozens of examples of presidents, prime ministers, ministers, deputy ministers, party leaders, etc., who've disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances. And that's just post WW2. Which anyone can find via a quick search online.

jevoten 3y ago

Stalin's purges extensively utilized false accusations and show trials, so there being a plausible story for each individual disappearance/conviction doesn't make this not a purge.

mytailorisrich 3y ago
Equally, it's bad reporting to paint everything a Stalinian purge without the subtlety of the possible full story, not least when Russia may be involved. Edit: a purge as practiced by Staline was to increase and solidify his personal power. There may be a similar dynamic at play here but at least in Qin Gang's case it seems to be much more complex. Simplistic and sensationalist labels prevent us from digging deeper into the interesting bit.
- gargablegar 3y ago
  They do make all the above points in the article - including that it’s hard to verify this information. Comparing it to Stalin is pretty apt - communist party with a figure head trying to hold onto power. Seems like more than just one person vanished and it’s all under totally opaque circumstances.
  - mytailorisrich 3y ago
    If the information is difficult to verify the correct way is to be measured. My main gripe here is the sensationalist take on complex issues, starting with the over-the-top title. This could have been a substantive and interesting discussion... Edit: I tried to look past the clickbaity title to get to the interesting part, which I think to find the reason for specific people being 'purged'. Alas it is apparently not possible...
    - foldr 3y ago
      The lack of information is the point. In a Western democracy, government ministers don't just go missing without any official explanation for their disappearance. (I am not suggesting that such official explanations are always true, but they at least exist.)
      - MichaelZuo 3y ago
        Here's an example from Australia: "On 17 December 1967, Harold Holt, the 17th prime minister of Australia, disappeared while swimming in the sea near Portsea, Victoria. An enormous search operation was mounted in and around Cheviot Beach, but his body was never recovered."
        foldr 3y ago
        He went for a swim and drowned. The facts of his disappearance are known and fully acknowledged insofar as anyone has been able to discover them. That's hardly an equivalent scenario to that of, e.g., Li Shangfu.
        MichaelZuo 3y ago
        Did you even read the entire comment? It clearly says his body was never recovered, so 'the facts of his disappearance' are not fully known, by definition. Anyways, there's dozens of examples of presidents, prime ministers, ministers, deputy ministers, party leaders, etc., who've disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances. And that's just post WW2. Which anyone can find via a quick search online.