Chinese authorities have detained two senior diplomats from the Communist Party's Central International Liaison Department in early August. Liu Jianchao, widely regarded as a potential candidate for China's next foreign minister, was taken in for questioning after returning to Beijing from a work trip. His detention has raised concerns about succession within China's foreign policy leadership, coming just two years after the surprise ouster of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Subsequently, Sun Haiyan, the deputy head of the same department, was also detained and questioned in connection with Liu's case. These developments signal uncertainty and potential instability at the top levels of China's diplomatic apparatus.