China on Tuesday sacked foreign minister Qin Gang and reappointed top diplomat Wang Yi to the post, ending the rare embarrassing drama involving a close confidant of President Xi Jinping in the tightly-run Communist country.

The abrupt move, approved by the top decision-making body of China’s rubber-stamp parliament, comes as speculation swirled around the fate of Qin, an outspoken diplomat, who has not been seen in public for a month.

Qin, 57, was made the foreign minister in December last year, superseding many seniors, earning the distinction of being a rising star in the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). He was one of the youngest appointees to the post in China's history.

Before his elevation, Xi had sent Qin as China’s Ambassador to the US to stabilise Beijing's stalled ties with Washington.

No reason has yet been given for Qin’s abrupt departure. The high-profile diplomat has not been seen in public since June 25, after he met with officials from Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Russia here.

The Chinese parliament reappointed Qin's predecessor, Wang, who has been elevated to the high post of Director of CPC's Foreign Affairs Commission in January.

China’s top legislature voted to appoint Wang, 69, as foreign minister and removed Qin from the post, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

President Xi, also general secretary of the CPC, signed a presidential order to effectuate the decision, it said.

Wang served as the foreign minister from 2013 to 2022. However, in the Chinese political hierarchy, the post of the foreign minister is well below that of the director of the CPC's Foreign Affairs Commission. He was also elevated to the post of state councillor, a high political rank of the CPC.

Ever since Qin went missing from the public and missed several diplomatic engagements in recent weeks, rumours had surfaced that he was not well. Later rumours of his alleged affair with a Chinese journalist working at Phoenix TV of Hong Kong, besides involvement in corruption cases were also doing rounds.

For weeks, the Chinese foreign ministry parried persistent questions from journalists on Qin’s absence and whereabouts.

Rumours gripped Beijing on Monday when it was announced that the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress — China’s Parliament — will hold an emergency session on Tuesday to appoint and remove an official.

Tuesday's announcement of the NPC session came after a high-level meeting presided over by President Xi.