Senior Chinese Diplomat Liu Jianchao Taken for Questioning

Liu Jianchao, a prominent figure in Chinese diplomacy and viewed as a potential future foreign minister, has been taken in for questioning by local authorities, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

Following an overseas work trip, Liu was reportedly detained after his return to Beijing in late July, as noted by sources familiar with the situation. Attempts to get comments from China's State Council Information Office and the Chinese Communist Party's International Liaison Department have not yet been met with responses, Reuters reported.

Liu's extensive travel and meetings with high-ranking international officials, including former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, fueled expectations of his promotion to foreign minister. His detention is a significant development, echoing the probe that led to the removal of China's former foreign minister, Qin Gang, in 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)