Senior diplomat dismissed, placed under investigation

High-ranking diplomat Zhang Kunsheng has been placed under investigation on suspicion of "breaching discipline", a term usually used in reference to corruption, the Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday.

Zhang, a senior official who served in the ministry for nearly 30 years and was in charge of Latin America and the Caribbean region affairs and protocol affairs, has been sacked as assistant foreign minister.

On Thursday, questions about Zhang surfaced in the media when it was discovered that his name had been removed from the list of "principal officials" on the ministry's website.