Frontrunner for foreign minister reportedly detained by authorities
On Sunday, the WSJ reported that Liu Jianchao has been detained by authorities.
ICYDK: Liu – head of the Party’s International Liaison Department (ILD) – has long been the frontrunner to become China’s next foreign minister.
- The post is currently held by Wang Yi, 71, who was reappointed in July 2023 after Qin Gang was dismissed from the role.
Liu was last spotted on July 29, during a diplomatic visit to Algeria.
- He has since missed three events that he would normally attend, including a meeting with the president of the US-China Business Council.
Our take: There are too many unknowns at this stage to determine whether Liu is in trouble.
- Rather than being under investigation himself, he may be assisting in another case.
- It’s also possible that WSJ sources have got it completely wrong and Liu's absence is due to a serious illness.
Get smart: Beijing is facing a swath of geopolitical challenges – from Western scrutiny over its export sector to maritime disputes with its neighbors.
- The last thing it needs is to lose another senior figure from its diplomatic bench.