No other details were immediately available.

Xiao’s name was conspicuous by its absence from a list released on Wednesday by China’s ruling Communist Party of officials elected on July 19 to take part in the 20th party congress set for later this year. As a sitting minister, Xiao would have been expected to be on the list.

Xiao, 62, previously headed the State Administration for Market Regulation, and before that led the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

The MIIT oversees a vast swath of China’s economy that includes 5G telecoms, semiconductors, electric vehicles and vaccine production.

Xiao’s last public appearance was on July 6, when he chaired a virtual conference of information ministers from the BRICS grouping of countries that also includes Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.