Xi Jinping’s actions clearly demonstrate his dictatorial nature.

Xi Jinping’s ​Dictatorship: The Mysterious Disappearance of Qin Gang

After President ‍Joe ​Biden called Xi Jinping, the head of‍ the⁤ Chinese Communist Party, a “dictator” at a⁤ fundraising⁢ event last month,‍ Beijing ⁢vehemently protested, ⁢accusing Biden’s remarks of being​ “extremely absurd,” “irresponsible,”⁤ and “an open ‍political provocation.”

The ⁢mysterious “disappearance” of China’s ⁤top diplomat Qin Gang and his⁤ eventual removal,​ however, is‍ the latest ‍proof that Xi‌ is a ruthless dictator.

Qin ‌Gang was a rising star within the CCP. He‌ was a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry from 2005⁤ to 2010 and served as‌ China’s ambassador to the United States between 2021 and 2022. He was⁣ one⁣ of China’s most vocal‌ “wolf diplomats.” He ‍was combative and antagonistic and ‍willing to break diplomatic protocols and⁤ damage relationships⁣ to promote Beijing’s agenda and narratives. ⁣In ⁤one​ of his interviews⁣ with NPR, then-Ambassador Qin denied ‍that the ⁢Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims amounted to genocide.

Xi promoted Qin to minister of China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry seven months ago.⁤ Then‌ this‍ March, Qin was ​elevated to⁤ state councilor and joined the Communist Party’s Central Committee. Many suspected ‌that Qin’s rapid promotion was a​ sign that he had the full backing of Xi and that Xi might be ⁤grooming Qin to be ‍his successor.

Before Secretary of State​ Antony Blinken began ⁢his trip to China, Qin blamed the U.S. for the two⁣ nations’ ⁣worsening relationship and told Blinken to “stop interfering in China’s internal affairs.” One of ⁢Qin’s employees, a Chinese Foreign Ministry⁢ spokesman,​ warned, “The U.S. should not have the illusion of ‍dealing with China from a position‍ of strength.”

Five days after ‌Biden called Xi a⁣ “dictator,” ⁤Qin ⁣mysteriously “disappeared” from ⁢the public eye, and all his ​scheduled diplomatic meetings and ⁢trips have been⁤ canceled since June 26.‌ After being bombarded with questions about ​Qin’s whereabouts⁢ from ​foreign media, one of China’s Foreign Ministry spokesmen mentioned that Qin experienced “health issues” without ⁣elaborating on any details. Since ​then, the Chinese government has not answered any questions regarding⁤ Qin.

The Chinese government’s unwillingness⁤ to offer a ​credible ⁤explanation for the disappearance of ‌its highest-ranked diplomat only fueled ⁤domestic and ⁤international rumor mills. An increasingly likely speculation promoted ⁢by ⁤longtime China watcher Bill Bishop and others is that Qin had an extramarital‌ affair with⁤ a well-known female ⁢TV anchor, Fu ⁢Xiaotian, who is likely in the U.S. with⁣ the couple’s love child.

Qin’s political rivals probably laid ​bare the alleged affair to cast⁢ doubts on his ⁤loyalty to the party, especially to ‌Xi. If ​this were the case, then Qin⁤ would be under house​ arrest or already in jail ​while an internal investigation occurs. We can be⁤ sure only one man is responsible for Qin’s disappearance: Xi⁢ himself.

Almost a month after⁤ Qin’s‌ disappearance, ‌the⁢ Chinese government announced ​this week that⁤ Qin was removed from his foreign minister position and that his ⁢former boss, Wang ​Yi, who was elevated‍ to the⁣ powerful Politburo,​ the CCP’s decision-making⁢ body, would take over Qin’s title and⁤ responsibility. Sharp-eyed ⁤observers soon noticed that​ information ‌related to Qin has been erased from the Foreign Ministry’s website. Twitter users jokingly referred to⁣ Qin Gang as “Qin Gone.”

Imagine ⁢if ‌Blinken ⁢vanished for ​several weeks and⁤ the White House offered no explanation. Then suddenly, Biden appointed Susan Rice, ⁣a former U.S. ambassador​ to the U.N., to replace Blinken. The State Department’s website erased all photos and mentions⁣ of Blinken as if he were never there. That’s ‍why Qin’s mysterious disappearance and subsequent‌ removal have sent shockwaves through the international diplomatic community.

The CCP is known for secrecy and lack of transparency,⁣ especially in its decision-making ‌process and​ personnel ⁢choices. Since its inception, the party has had a history⁤ of‍ fierce power struggles. Losers, often along with ⁢their families, are usually eliminated in the most horrible ​ways.

Chairman Mao Zedong perfected this internal power struggle. He‌ never hesitated⁣ to forcefully‌ remove ⁣his ⁢lieutenants, including his hand-picked successors, when he felt someone got too close to⁣ his power center, or that ‌he‌ needed to make an example⁢ out of somebody to warn others. Several of his top generals were ⁢tortured to death during the ⁤Cultural Revolution. Mao’s heir-apparent, ⁢Lin Biao, and several of his family members were‍ killed in⁢ a mysterious plane crash⁣ in ⁤1972.

Xi ‌is the most authoritarian leader China has had‍ since Mao. Xi modeled his dictatorial rule after Mao’s: ‌He adopted ‍the Maoist cult of ‌personality, ‌having his ⁣books and portraits displayed beside Mao’s. Xi purged his rivals and became⁤ the chairman of everything through the so-called anti-corruption campaign. In 2017, Xi abolished the presidential term limit established by his predecessor, Deng Xiaoping, and became China’s⁣ dictator for life.

Xi is especially fond of ⁤“disappearing” people, from well-known business⁢ tycoons to actresses, sports stars, human rights activists, religious believers, and ⁤government‌ officials. Businessman Jack Ma, ‌the‌ founder ​of China’s most successful e-commerce company Alibaba,⁤ was allowed‌ to “reappear” after he gave up control of his company. But former⁤ Interpol President Meng Hongwei was sentenced to more than a ​decade in prison after vanishing on‍ a trip to China.

Through the “disappearing” and controlled “reappearing” of prominent figures ⁢and​ dissidents,⁤ Xi ⁤makes it clear he alone is in charge ​and will mercilessly eliminate any real or ​imagined threat. Everyone else is expendable, including the dictator’s once-closest lieutenants. ‍Xi probably hasn’t realized ‍(or maybe he doesn’t care) how much the⁢ secrecy and abruptness of ⁤Qin’s removal have damaged China’s international reputation and Chinese officials’ credibility.

One China watcher told the⁣ South China Morning Post: “If‌ a vice-national-level leader can just⁤ disappear ⁢without much of an ⁢explanation, people find it difficult to​ trust and count on any Chinese leader or official and their positions. …​ [The incident] ​ casts ⁢much⁢ uncertainty and confusion over the consistency, stability, and credibility of Beijing’s⁢ decision-making.”

The Qin saga will likely further erode investors’ confidence in China when China desperately needs foreign investment to rescue its faltering economy and stubbornly high youth unemployment⁣ rate.

The lesson for the Biden administration⁢ is that it must stop treating Xi as⁣ if ⁤he were‌ a regular ​head of state. Biden was right⁣ to call Xi a⁤ dictator. When⁣ Biden administration⁤ officials ⁢visit China, they should stop bowing⁢ to Xi‍ and his underlings and begging for cooperation on issues that matter little⁤ to Xi, ⁢such as climate change and the control of fentanyl exports.

A dictator ‌who is cruel to ​his own people ⁤doesn’t care about our people’s well-being. He​ will ‍not hesitate to harm America and our allies’ interests. The sooner the Biden administration recognizes the true nature of Xi and his regime and develops appropriate⁣ policy responses,‍ the better ⁢we can protect ourselves and our allies.