Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was removed from office on Tuesday, state media reported, after disappearing from the public eye for a month with little explanation from the ruling Communist Party.
Qin's absence had sparked a storm of speculation that the 57-year-old, considered a confidant of President Xi Jinping, had fallen from grace or was subject to an official investigation.
China's Foreign Ministry had previously said "health reasons" were to blame but more recently had refused to give any updates despite repeated questioning.