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Liu Jiangchao, 61, who was mentioned as a potential candidate for China's foreign minister, has been detained by Chinese authorities and is being investigated, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The WSJ cited sources familiar with the matter, stating that Liu was arrested shortly after returning to Beijing in late July and that the reason for his detention has not been disclosed.
Liu Jiangchao is a ministerial-level figure who has been in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a long time. Since 2022, he has served as Director-General of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, responsible for relations with foreign parties and socialist countries.
He has been repeatedly mentioned as a strong candidate for the next foreign minister since former minister Qin Gang was dismissed just seven months after his appointment in July 2023. The reason for Qin's dismissal was not disclosed, but currently, the foreign minister position is concurrently held by Wang Yi, head of the Communist Party's Central Foreign Affairs Commission.
The WSJ reported that "Liu Jiangchao may have angered President Xi Jinping by acting as if the position of the next foreign minister was assured."
Liu visited the United States last year, meeting with then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and figures from the Biden administration, as well as investors and businessmen such as Ray Dalio and Stephen Schwarzman. This could have become problematic.
The WSJ quoted a source as saying that "President Xi values loyalty in diplomatic appointments," adding: "His (Liu Jiangchao's) absence would weaken Beijing's diplomatic expertise."
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