Rumors Swirl: Qin Gang Allegedly Tortured to Death During Detention and Interrogation

Dark clouds hang over Tiananmen Square in Beijing. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News]  Former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not made any public appearances since June 25, 2023. In December 2023, the U.S.-based political news site POLITICO, considered a relatively reliable source, reported that Qin had died from torture or suicide after allegedly leaking military nuclear secrets. The news has not been officially confirmed. Recently, some independent Chinese media sources claimed that Qin Gang died under brutal torture during detention and disciplinary review by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), subjected to methods known as the “Three Devices” and “Black and White Impermanence.”

According to the independent media outlet "You Liao", Qin Gang's death occurred while he was being held for an internal investigation.

The report stated that since Wang Qishan took over the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) at the 18th Party Congress, treatment of detained officials worsened drastically. Unlike before, where officials like Bo Xilai were granted special privileges such as newspapers and tea, officials under Wang's watch were subjected to dehumanising interrogation tactics, including the notorious "Three Devices" and "Black and White Impermanence."

What Are the “Three Devices” and “Black and White Impermanence”? "You Liao" explains the "Three Devices" as slang for three torture methods: "Flying the Plane", "Eating Ramen", and "Gnawing on Steamed Buns". These methods were designed to break people mentally and physically. Even those once powerful in public life would quickly collapse under this treatment. It is believed that Qin Gang could not survive these tortures.

The specific process of the "Three Devices" torture is quite gory and brutal, according to "You Liao". They chose to only describe one method—“Flying the Plane”, and refrained from detailing the others.

“Flying the Plane” is reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution. A heavy object, such as an iron chain or something similar, is hung around the victim’s neck. Then, both of the person’s hands are tied and raised high, while their neck is forced downward, pushing the head down. In this strained position, the person is made to run in circles around the room, enduring intense physical pain and humiliation.

"Black and White Impermanence" refers to locking the detainee in a pitch-dark cell, then intermittently flashing high-powered white lights at them. Darkness symbolises "Black Impermanence", and the intense light represents "White Impermanence"—a sensory torture technique meant to disorient and mentally break the detainee.

According to "You Liao," Qin Gang was unable to endure these methods, and a mistake by the interrogators allegedly resulted in his death during detention. Afterwards, no official details were released, though whispers emerged that he had died while in custody.

"You Liao" also revealed that interrogation conditions were inhumane. Officials under review were forced to eat, drink, urinate, and defecate inside a small room, sometimes without standing or moving for days, which caused severe physical decay—some suffered tissue rot below the waist.

Staff assigned to carry out the detention were rotated regularly and had no knowledge of the detainee’s identity in advance, with all personal electronics confiscated, maintaining extreme secrecy.

"You Liao" claimed that Qin Gang’s death became a turning point. Since then, the authorities have allegedly ceased using torture when investigating officials of vice-ministerial level and above.

The report raises the question: How terrifying is CCP torture? The once-popular Chinese novel “Red Crag” portrayed Nationalist (KMT) prisons as brutal, yet co-author Luo Guangbin managed to escape from the KMT’s Zhazidong prison after 14 months. However, during China’s Cultural Revolution, he committed suicide after just 6 days under CCP interrogation, unable to withstand the torture.

The Mystery of Qin Gang’s Whereabouts

Two weeks after his disappearance, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin briefly stated that Qin was absent due to health reasons. Three weeks later, another spokesperson, Mao Ning, said there was “no information to provide.” Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng, when asked about Qin’s absence, responded vaguely: “Let’s wait and see.”

In September 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that a notice about Qin’s “lifestyle issues” had been circulated among provincial and ministerial-level officials in August. It mentioned an extramarital affair and a child born in the U.S., but did not name the woman or the child. Sources claimed Qin was still under investigation, mainly regarding whether his behaviour endangered national security.

According to the Financial Times, Qin Gang met Fu Xiaotian around 2010 in London. In 2022, they had a child through a surrogate in the U.S. After June 2023, Fu could no longer be contacted.

On December 6, 2023, POLITICO published an article titled "China's Xi Goes Full Stalin with Purge", stating that Qin Gang had met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko before vanishing. Rudenko allegedly delivered intelligence to Xi Jinping, accusing Qin and some Rocket Force officials of leaking China’s nuclear secrets to Western intelligence agencies. Two sources said Qin died in late July at a military hospital in Beijing, either by suicide or torture.

Many analysts doubt the authenticity of these reports and call them disinformation. Still, voices have called on Beijing to let Qin Gang appear publicly to clarify the rumours, but he has remained absent despite increasing speculation.

The last public mention of Qin Gang came on July 18, 2024, when the CCP’s Third Plenum Communiqué stated that Qin’s resignation from his position as a member of the Central Committee had been accepted. Interestingly, the notice still referred to him as “comrade,” suggesting he might not face criminal charges.

To this day, the truth remains a mystery: Is Qin Gang in trouble? Or not? Sick? Healthy? Dead? Alive? No one knows for sure.