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takyon writes:

Interpol Chief, Detained by China, Resigns Under 'Supervision' of Party Watchdog

In a stunning move that could set back the country's efforts to expand its global presence, the Chinese Communist Party announced late Sunday that the missing president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei, was under investigation on "suspicion of violating the law" and was "under the supervision" of an anticorruption watchdog tied to the party. The announcement that Mr. Meng, a Chinese national, was being detained was posted online by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's watchdog against graft and political disloyalty, on Sunday night. A few hours later, Interpol said it had received Mr. Meng's resignation "with immediate effect."

[...] While China may have had its eye on placing its citizens in other top posts at prominent global organizations, "the fact that Meng was 'disappeared' without any notice to Interpol will undermine this Chinese global outreach effort," Mr. Ku said. "It is hard to imagine another international organization feeling comfortable placing a Chinese national in charge without feeling nervous that this might happen."

The announcement of Mr. Meng's detention came hours after his wife, Grace, told reporters in Lyon, France, that before her husband had vanished on a trip to China, he had sent her a phone message with an emoji of a knife. She interpreted the knife image to mean "he is in danger," she said in a brief statement to reporters on Sunday in Lyon, where the two were living and where Interpol is headquartered. Ms. Meng gave her statement at a hotel, keeping her back to reporters so that her face would not be captured on camera, a precaution that she said was for security reasons for herself and her children. She said she had received the message with the knife image shortly after Mr. Meng arrived in China. It came just four minutes after she received a message from him saying, "Wait for my call," she said. She has not heard from him since. She reported his disappearance to the French police on Oct. 4. A French police investigation is now underway, with the authorities saying that he had boarded a plane and arrived in China, but that his subsequent whereabouts was unknown.

In addition to serving as president of the international crime fighting body, Mr. Meng is also a vice minister in the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.

Also at Bloomberg and The Washington Post.

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