China's foreign minister Qin Gang will not be present at a diplomatic event in Indonesia as initially scheduled, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Qin Gang's absence, which has persisted for over two weeks without explanation, continues without clarification. Instead, China's top diplomat Wang Yi will attend the meetings in Jakarta on behalf of the country.

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have a scheduled meeting on Thursday, preceding the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum on Friday.

Qin Gang, who assumed the role of foreign minister in December, has not been seen in public since June 25 when he met with officials from Sri Lanka, Russia, and Vietnam in Beijing.

The Chinese foreign ministry has not provided any information regarding Qin's location or current status in response to inquiries.

The extended absence of Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang has attracted attention, as speculations arise regarding the reasons behind his public absence. When asked about a Politico article suggesting health issues as a possible explanation, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated that he was unaware of the report.

Qin was originally scheduled to meet with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Beijing last week. However, China informed the EU that the meeting could no longer take place on the planned dates, leading to its postponement.

The European Union (EU) received notification of the meeting's postponement only two days before the planned arrival of EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on July 5, according to an informed source.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also expected to attend the meetings in Jakarta this week, providing another opportunity for discussions with China as the United States aims to stabilize the deteriorating relations between the two major powers.

Last month, Blinken visited Beijing and held meetings with Qin Gang and Wang Yi, marking the first visit to China by a U.S. secretary of state in five years.

Wang Yi holds a higher position as the foreign policy chief for the Chinese Communist Party, while Qin Gang serves as the government's foreign minister and assumes the role of the country's foreign policy chief.