China removes its outspoken foreign minister during a bumpy time in relations with the US

BEIJING (AP) — China removed its sometimes outspoken foreign minister on Tuesday and replaced him with his predecessor at an unusually scheduled meeting, a move that has fueled rumors about the personal lives and political rivalries of China’s Communist Party elite. The step to remove Qin Gang and replace him with Wang Yi doesn't appear to signal any significant change in the hard-edged foreign policy adopted in recent years by leader Xi Jinping, who oversees the world’s second-largest economy — and a nation that is the primary U.S. rival for international influence. U.S. officials said as much about Qin’s departure…