ISTANBUL 

China on Tuesday appointed a veteran diplomat as the new head of the Communist Party's International Department, after reportedly detaining his predecessor, according to the South China Morning Post.

Liu Haixing, who specializes in European affairs, is replacing Liu Jianchao, who has not been seen in public since late July.

Chinese authorities reportedly detained Liu for questioning after he returned to Beijing in late July from an overseas working visit.

Liu had been leading the agency in charge of managing ties with foreign political parties since 2022.

He was considered a possible successor to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, especially after he met former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington last year.

His reported detention marks the second-highest-level probe involving a diplomat since Beijing ousted former top diplomat Qin Gang in 2023, following rumors of an extramarital affair.

Separately. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for efforts to "keep on working hard and forge ahead" to advance the nation's modernization during a speech Tuesday at a reception to celebrate the 76th founding anniversary of China, according to a government statement.

China's National Day is Oct. 1.​​​​​​​