China says its foreign minister is ill. A senior diplomat will take his place at ASEAN

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is ill and the country’s senior diplomat will take his place at a two-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week in Jakarta, Indonesia. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin gave no details of Qin’s condition. Qin rose to prominence as an outspoken ministry spokesperson who popularized an aggressive style that came to be known as “wolf warrior diplomacy” after the name of a nationalistic Chinese movie franchise. In March, Qin warned Washington of “conflict and confrontation,” striking a combative tone amid conflicts over Taiwan, COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.