Prominent Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao taken in for questioning, sources say
He was widely viewed by diplomats in Beijing and analysts as a likely candidate to succeed veteran Wang Yi as foreign minister but was not promoted to the role in a recent annual government reshuffle.
'If true, Liu Jianchao's downfall will lead to further power vacuum at the top of China's foreign affairs portfolio,' said Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub.
'It removes a front-runner to succeed Wang Yi and deprives China of a potential next steward for China's foreign policy.'
China's state council information office, which handles media queries for the government, and the Chinese Communist Party international department did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
At an annual forum at Beijing's Tsinghua University in early July, Liu said he was optimistic about the future of US-China relations and it was 'unimaginable that China and the US will ever go to war'.
Liu was known for the unusual frequency and intensity of his overseas travel, unlike his more low-profile predecessors.
Foreign diplomats in Beijing praised his confident and relaxed manner, fluent English and ability to engage spontaneously without pre-prepared talking points.
'He knows how to shape Chinese narratives in a way that's engaging and appealing to foreigners,' said one who met him in late 2023.
Another diplomat who met his aides around that time said they were very confident he would soon be promoted to foreign minister. During a high-profile 2024 trip to the US, widely viewed by analysts as a foreign minister trial run, he met a wide range of counterparts, including then-secretary of state Antony Blinken.
Born in the northeastern province of Jilin, Liu majored in English at Beijing Foreign Studies University and studied international relations at Oxford before taking up his first post as a translator with the foreign ministry.
He has served in China's mission to Britain and later as ambassador to Indonesia and the Philippines.
Unusually for a Chinese diplomat, he served two successive postings in China's anti-corruption bureaucracy between 2015 and 2018, when he helped track down corrupt officials who fled overseas.
During his time as ministry spokesperson, he was known for humorous, spontaneous comments while making a robust defence of China's position.
A person familiar with China's foreign ministry said Liu was liked and well-respected by Chinese diplomats for his ability and warm, friendly demeanour.
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