Steady, reliable, humorous: Liu Jianchao seen as China’s clear choice for next foreign minister

BEIJING - Six months after China sacked its foreign minister under mysterious and unexplained circumstances, it could be close to naming a successor, potentially during its annual parliamentary season in March.

Political pundits have their money on seasoned diplomat Liu Jianchao, after he made a recent high-profile visit to the United States where he

met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

and Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer, and spoke at an event organised by think-tank Council on Foreign Relations.