Chinese authorities have taken Liu Jianchao, head of the Communist Party’s International Liaison Department and a leading contender to become the country’s next foreign minister, into custody for questioning, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Liu, 61, was reportedly detained after landing in Beijing in late July following an overseas trip. No reason for the inquiry has been disclosed. The State Council Information Office and Liu’s department have not responded to requests for comment, according to Reuters. Liu’s removal marks the highest-profile investigation of a Chinese diplomat since former foreign minister Qin Gang was dismissed in 2023. Liu has overseen the party organ responsible for relations with foreign political parties since 2022, visiting more than 20 countries and meeting officials from over 160 nations. His active travel schedule—including a well-publicised visit to Washington and New York earlier this year—had fuelled expectations that he was being groomed for promotion to foreign minister. Before taking his current post, Liu served as China’s ambassador to Indonesia and the Philippines, foreign ministry spokesman and vice minister, and led a unit that pursued fugitive corruption suspects abroad—experience that made him a prominent figure in President Xi Jinping’s diplomatic and anti-graft agendas.