BEIJING, April 14 -- China has abruptly removed senior diplomat Sun Weidong from his position as vice foreign minister, according to an official announcement.

The Ministry of Human Resources stated on its website that Sun Weidong had been dismissed by China's highest state authority. However, the statement did not provide any reason or details regarding the timing of his removal.

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According to the Chinese foreign ministry website, Sun's last known public engagements took place on March 13, when he met ambassadors from Brunei and Malaysia. Two days earlier, he also held discussions with Pakistan's ambassador in China on bilateral cooperation.

The sudden dismissal comes amid China's continued a...