Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang removed from office: state media

"China's top legislature voted to appoint Wang Yi as foreign minister... as it convened a session on Tuesday," state media outlet Xinhua said.

"Qin Gang was removed from the post of foreign minister."

The report did not give a reason for Qin's removal but said President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order to enact the decision.

Qin has not been seen in public since June 25 when he met Russia's deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing.

His absence sparked a storm of speculation that he had been removed from office or was subject to an official investigation.

Qin's duties had lately been taken on by China's top diplomat Wang, who leads the ruling Communist Party's foreign policy and outranks Qin in the government hierarchy.

Qin had replaced Wang as foreign minister in December last year.