Former Chinese Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, and his rumored TV presenter lover had a child via surrogate in the US, sources said.
Gang, 57, and Fu Xiaotian, 40, have reportedly been in a secret relationship that was taken to new heights when the married minister reportedly fathered a child with her.
Xiaotian told a close associate about the surrogate pregnancy — which is illegal in China — last year, six people close to the TV personality told the Financial Times.
Their child was born in the US but would not be eligible for US citizenship as he was born to a Chinese diplomat.
The rumors of their new baby caused the Chinese government to oust Gang from his position — a role he took over in December.
He was last seen on June 25 when he met with a Sri Lankan minister in Beijing.
Qin was removed from his position as Beijing’s top diplomat after a probe by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) revealed he had carried on an affair during an 18-month stint as ambassador to Washington, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Xiaotian has also stopped posting on social media and hasn’t been seen since April when she posted a photo of her and her son Er-Kin on a private jet from Los Angeles to Beijing. All mentions of her on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China, have been censored.
Rumors began spreading about their supposed romance after they appeared flirty on her show “Talk with World Leaders.” Chinese fans were quick to point out that they both seemed at ease and were making lots of eye contact, but their speculations were quickly censored on Chinese media.
The pair reportedly met in 2010 when the Cambridge graduate started at Phoenix TV, but didn’t start their relationship until a decade later. They reportedly began dating in Beijing, according to the Financial Times.
After becoming appointed as a foreign minister, he began contacting Xiaotian, who started dropping hints on her social media, sources told The Times.
Xiaotian — who is believed to have a second, private Instagram account — posted celebratory photos of her son’s 100th day of life on March 4, appearing to take place at her rented Los Angeles residence.
She also admitted her son’s father was not American, writing: “Oh, and just so you know, my son’s father is not American. We’re actually planning to return to our home country soon, and we’re extremely excited about it!”
The affair and their reported love child come as Beijing’s relationship with the US becomes more strained, as the country cracks down on any perceived vulnerabilities.