Chinese authorities have taken senior diplomat Liu Jianchao away for questioning, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Liu was detained in late July shortly after returning to Beijing from an overseas trip, and the government has not publicly disclosed the reason for the investigation. China’s State Council Information Office and the Communist Party’s International Liaison Department, which Liu heads, did not respond to requests for comment, Reuters said, echoing the Journal’s account. Liu, 61, directs the party body that manages ties with foreign political parties and had been seen as a leading candidate to become foreign minister. Since assuming the role in 2022, he has visited more than 20 countries and met representatives from over 160, including a high-profile trip to Washington where he held talks with then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The inquiry marks the most senior case involving a Chinese diplomat since the 2023 dismissal of former foreign minister Qin Gang, underscoring continued turbulence in the country’s foreign-policy ranks as President Xi Jinping tightens oversight of key officials.