Chinese authorities have detained Liu Jianchao, a senior diplomat widely regarded as a potential candidate for China's next foreign minister, for questioning in early August after he returned to Beijing from a work trip. Liu Jianchao is the head of the Communist Party's International Department, responsible for managing relations with foreign political parties. This detention raises concerns about succession within China's foreign policy leadership, following the surprise ouster of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang two years ago. Additionally, Sun Haiyan, the deputy head of the same department, was also detained around the same time and questioned in connection with Liu's detention. These developments highlight ongoing uncertainty and possible internal investigations within the top echelons of China's diplomatic apparatus. Separately, Ding Wei, former chairman of the private equity subsidiary of China International Capital Corp (CICC), has been taken away by anti-corruption investigators, indicating broader scrutiny within China's political and financial sectors.