China’s New US Ambassador Misses CCP Military Event at DC Embassy Over Injury

The Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR Xie Feng gives a speech at a press conference in Hong Kong on Feb. 7, 2020. PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images

Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng missed a military event on July 25 at the Chinese Embassy in Washington because of what the embassy stated was an injury that he suffered at a recent conference.

The embassy said Mr. Xie was injured in an accidental fall while attending the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado last week. No details were available regarding his injury.

The People’s Liberation Army’s Army Day event marked the 96th anniversary (which actually falls on Aug. 1) of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) army. It was the first significant public event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the United States since Mr. Xie’s appointment as the regime’s new U.S. ambassador.

Power Struggle

Chinese state media reported on July 25 that Foreign Minister Qin Gang was removed from his office after just six months. It’s believed by the outside world and international media that the reason for the sudden departure involves an internal power struggle within the CCP’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Party’s top circle.

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang attends a press conference at the Media Center of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 7, 2023. Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

The Financial Times revealed that Mr. Qin was likely disliked within the CCP’s system because of his unusually quick promotion, and that Mr. Qin and Mr. Xie “don’t like each other.”

Mr. Qin “had a reputation as a prickly interlocutor in Washington,” and the Biden administration has long denied him meetings with senior U.S. officials, making his tenure in Washington difficult, Politico reported.

Zack Cooper, former assistant to the deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism at the National Security Council, told Politico, “It’s not like we’ve lost a critical piece of the U.S.-China puzzle—it might be that we’ve removed an impediment.”

In contrast, Mr. Xie had years of experience in diplomacy, especially with the United States. He was also director of the North American and Oceanian Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for years.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington on Feb. 15, 2023. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

While Mr. Qin is a favorite of CCP leader Xi Jinping, when it comes to U.S.–Sino relations, he’s often bypassed, and both Chinese and U.S. officials contact Mr. Xie instead, Zhang Tianliang, a professor at Feitian College in New York, said on his Chinese-language NTD talk show “Tianliang Time.”

“This has led to the tension between Mr. Qin and Mr. Xie, and they look down upon each other,” he said.

A U.S.-based current affairs commentator Shi Tao said on his talk show “Shitao Focus” regarding Mr. Xie’s mysterious injury that Mr. Xie might be in political trouble for laughing at Mr. Qin at a public forum, given that Mr. Qin is one of Mr. Xi’s favorite officials despite the challenges he faced with his portfolio.

“This shows the complicated power struggle within the CCP, and everyone is in danger in the foreign ministry and the CCP’s political system,” Mr. Shi said.

Still Aiming at Taiwan

While U.S.–Sino military communication channels haven’t yet been reopened, some U.S. Department of Defense officials attended the July 25 event, which was hosted in Mr. Xie’s absence by defense attaché Liu Zhan.

When addressing the issue of Taiwan’s independence, Mr. Liu reiterated the CCP’s position, stating that the issue is “China’s core issue.”

“Taiwan is China’s Taiwan, and China must and will unify Taiwan. China will continue to seek peaceful reunification of Taiwan, but will never give up the use of force,” he said.