Overview

• Liu Jianchao, 61, leads the Communist Party’s International Department and was detained upon returning to Beijing in late July, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
• His detention marks the most senior diplomatic probe since former foreign minister Qin Gang’s unexplained ouster in 2023.
• Since 2022, Liu has travelled to more than 20 countries and met officials from over 160 states, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, raising expectations he would succeed Wang Yi.
• China’s State Council Information Office and the party’s International Liaison Department have not responded to requests for comment on his status.
• Analysts view these opaque investigations of top diplomats as part of President Xi Jinping’s effort to consolidate control over foreign policy and enforce party discipline.