Liu Jianchao, a senior Chinese diplomat long regarded as a strong contender for the post of foreign minister, has reportedly been taken into custody by authorities for questioning, according to the Wall Street Journal. The report, citing individuals familiar with the matter, said Liu was detained shortly after returning to Beijing in late July from an overseas work trip.
China’s State Council Information Office and the Communist Party’s International Liaison Department, which Liu has headed since 2022, have not responded to requests for comment. In his role, Liu oversaw the party’s engagement with foreign political parties, travelling to more than 20 countries and meeting officials from over 160 nations.
His high-profile diplomatic activities — including a meeting in Washington with former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken — had fuelled speculation that he was being positioned as China’s next foreign minister. The development now marks the most senior-level investigation of a Chinese diplomat since the removal of Qin Gang in 2023, amid rumours of personal scandal.
Liu, 61, was born in Jilin province and studied English at Beijing Foreign Studies University before pursuing international relations at Oxford. He began his career as a translator in China’s foreign ministry and went on to serve in the country’s mission to Britain, later becoming ambassador to Indonesia and the Philippines.
Known during his time as ministry spokesman for mixing sharp defences of China’s positions with occasional flashes of humour, Liu’s abrupt detention has added another layer of uncertainty to China’s diplomatic corps at a time of sensitive global relations.
