Ousted minister 'fathered child with TV presenter via surrogacy'

Ousted foreign minister Qin Gang is said to have fathered a child with Phoenix Television presenter mistress Fu Xiaotian using a surrogate mother in the United States, according to reports.

Qin disappeared from public view seven months into his high-profile job and was sacked with no explanation in July.

The 57-year-old reportedly had an affair with 40-year-old Fu Xiaotian, who last year had a child via a surrogate in the United States, according to a Financial Times report. Surrogacy is banned in China.

Cambridge-educated Fu has also disappeared from public life. Reports say she stopped updates on social media in April and her phone has been disconnected.

While the children of foreign diplomats born in the US are not eligible for citizenship, this may not apply to those born using a US surrogate, according to a Telegraph report. It could be hugely embarrassing for Beijing if a former Chinese foreign minister's son is a citizen of one of the country's biggest rivals, it added.

Senior officials were told Qin had an extramarital affair while stationed in Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported.

They were told the reason for his dismissal was "lifestyle issues" and that he had engaged in an extramarital affair that led to the birth of a child in the US.

Qin moved to Washington with wife Lin Yan when he was appointed ambassador in 2021. He was promoted to foreign minister in January 2023.

The foreign ministry removed all mentions of Qin on its website in July, before restoring them a few days later, the Telegraph reported.

It added that Fu dropped hints about their relationship online, including posting on Weibo in March that the father of her baby is not American. Around Qin's birthday, she wished the father a happy birthday, the report added.

Fu also made a comment on April 10 after she boarded a private jet in Los Angeles bound for Beijing with her son, Er-Kin. She said the last time she had flown on the jet was to visit Washington for an interview for Qin.

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