The Chinese government on Thursday lashed out at what it called "malicious hype" surrounding the removal of Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
Chinese officials have also not commented on the disappearance of the former senior diplomat, who hasn't been seen in public in over a month.
China defends handling of Qin's dismissal
When asked about Qin's dismissal during a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Chinese government disclosed information about recent personnel shakeups "in a timely manner."
"We consistently oppose malicious hype of this matter," the spokesperson said.
The 57-year-old diplomat was relieved of his duties on Tuesday. He is a protege of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He has been replaced by Wang Yi, an official who not only earlier held the role but who also outranked Qin in the country's political hierarchy.
Media reports swirled around Qin's departure, with some outlets claiming that he had an extramarital affair with a TV anchor. Qin lasted only 207 days as foreign minister, with the Chinese government not giving any formal explanation for his dismissal.
"What I can tell you is that China's diplomatic work has always been carried out under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee," Mao said, while adding that the Chinese Foreign Ministry website will soon be updated.
Qin's tenure as foreign minister scrubbed from official websites
Currently, all references to Qin's recent work as foreign minister have been deleted from the website. A timeline of his career on the English website shows his last position as vice minister of foreign affairs from 2018 to 2021.
The dismissal of Qin could ultimately pose as an embarrassment for Xi Jinping.
The post of foreign minister is considered to be fairly prestigious, and Qin managed to land the role despite being fairly young. Qin's relationship with Xi may have given him a leg-up for the position, edging out other candidates for the influential job.
