China Holds Top Diplomat in Custody for Questioning

(MENAFN) Chinese officials have taken Liu Jianchao, a senior diplomat widely viewed as a potential next foreign minister, into custody for questioning, media reported Sunday, citing "people familiar with the matter."

Liu, 61, was detained shortly after returning to Beijing in late July from an overseas assignment.

Beijing has yet to comment on the report, which did not specify the reasons behind Liu’s detention.

Since 2022, Liu has led the Chinese Communist Party’s unit responsible for managing relations with foreign political parties.

He was regarded as a strong contender to succeed current Foreign Minister Wang Yi, especially after his high-profile meetings with former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, D.C. last year.

Liu’s detention is the second highest-level investigation involving a Chinese diplomat since the removal of former top envoy Qin Gang in 2023 amid rumors of an extramarital affair.

Educated in English at Beijing Foreign Studies University and international relations at Oxford University, Liu began his career as a translator in the Foreign Ministry. He later served at China’s mission in the United Kingdom before holding ambassadorial posts in Indonesia and the Philippines.

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