Potential future FM of China taken in for questioning after overseas trip

BEIJING: Liu Jianchao, a senior Chinese diplomat considered a likely candidate for the position of foreign minister, has been taken in for questioning by authorities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

According to the report, Liu was detained after returning to Beijing in late July from an overseas work trip, citing sources familiar with the matter.

China’s State Council Information Office, which handles government media inquiries, and the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Liu, 61, heads the Communist Party department responsible for managing relations with foreign political parties. Since his appointment in 2022, he has visited more than 20 countries and met officials from over 160 nations.

His active international engagements, including a meeting with former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, fuelled speculation that the former ambassador and ministry spokesperson was being positioned as the next foreign minister.

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The questioning represents the highest-level investigation involving a diplomat since the removal of former foreign minister Qin Gang in 2023, following speculation about an extramarital affair.

Born in Jilin province, Liu studied English at Beijing Foreign Studies University and pursued international relations at Oxford University before joining the foreign ministry as a translator.

He has served in China’s mission to the United Kingdom and as ambassador to Indonesia and the Philippines. As ministry spokesperson, he was noted for delivering unscripted remarks alongside firm defences of China’s policies.

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