During a secret meeting in Beidaihe, senior Chinese Communist Party officials were shocked by the news that Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China (referred to as the United Front Work Department), has been investigated. The reasons behind Liu Jianchao’s incident and its implications have sparked speculation.
According to Reuters on August 11th, undisclosed sources revealed that 61-year-old Liu Jianchao was taken away for questioning by authorities in early August after returning from visits to Singapore, South Africa, and Algeria at the end of July. His residence was searched by authorities in early August.
The Wall Street Journal reported on August 9th that Liu Jianchao was taken in for questioning by authorities after returning to Beijing at the end of July following his overseas trip, with the reasons remaining unclear.
If the news is true, Liu Jianchao would be the highest-ranking official in the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs system to be investigated since former Foreign Minister Qin Gang was dismissed in 2023. However, the official website of the United Front Work Department still shows Liu Jianchao as the minister.
Liu Jianchao has previously served as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party, ambassador, director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in 2015, playing a crucial role in Xi Jinping’s “Operation Fox Hunt” to pursue corrupt officials across borders. He later returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018 and assumed the position of Minister of the United Front Work Department in May 2022.
After Qin Gang fell from grace, Politburo member and Director of the Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi took over as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Liu Jianchao was considered a hot candidate to succeed Wang Yi as Minister of Foreign Affairs before the two sessions earlier this year, but the position eventually fell through.
According to Reuters, quoting words from Song Wendie, a researcher at the Global China Affairs Center of the Atlantic Council, if Liu Jianchao falls from power, it would create further power vacuum at the top of the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs, potentially removing a potential successor for Wang Yi.
The reasons behind Liu Jianchao’s incident are currently a subject of various speculations. There are rumors online suggesting that Liu Jianchao’s issue may be related to collusion with foreign banks during his time as director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, involved in helping many corrupt officials set up family trusts overseas and transfer money abroad. Others claim that Liu Jianchao may be involved in leaking of classified information. However, these rumors have yet to be confirmed.
Observers often compare Liu Jianchao with the fallen former Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
An article by Radio France Internationale on the 12th stated that both Qin Gang and Liu Jianchao are diplomats who were appreciated by Xi Jinping, promoted to the 20th Central Committee, and disappeared from ministerial positions. Qin Gang was allegedly involved in “extramarital affairs,” while Liu Jianchao’s situation seems more severe, as he was involved in the “Fox Hunt” abroad, chasing corrupt officials across borders, and now the hunter himself has been “taken away.”
The article suggests that whether his troubles are related to who will succeed the elderly Wang Yi as Minister of Foreign Affairs? Being considered a popular candidate for the position of Foreign Minister may not be a good thing for Liu Jianchao, as it could potentially pose a threat to Wang Yi in some way.
Reuters reported that diplomats stationed in Beijing praised Liu Jianchao’s confident and composed style of handling matters, his fluent English, and his ability to speak spontaneously without prior preparation, making him well-liked within the Chinese Communist Party’s diplomatic system.
The article from Radio France suggests that in the actual political environment of the Chinese Communist Party, Liu Jianchao’s “spontaneous performance” may be actually frowned upon. His speeches in the United States and some other occasions could be seen as “overstepping.” Before any formal appointment was announced, Liu Jianchao already perceived himself as the incoming Foreign Minister, a move that may be considered politically incorrect within the Chinese government, potentially leading to suspicion in Beijing. Additionally, there are speculations about whether his issues are related to his work in the local government or to corruption.
Japanese senior media figure Yanagi Itaru posted on an overseas platform on August 11th, stating that Liu Jianchao was a hot candidate to become the next Foreign Minister. If he is taken down and there is no successor, 71-year-old Wang Yi is likely to continue serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for a considerable period. Liu Jianchao is most likely being targeted by political adversaries.
On August 11th, former official of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Wang Youqun wrote on the Epoch Times, stating that Qin Gang was the youngest “Party and state leader” promoted and favored by Xi Jinping personally, while the key moments of Liu Jianchao’s promotion and usage were under Xi Jinping’s rule. Both of them are important confidants in Xi’s foreign affairs circle.
Wang Youqun believed that with Qin Gang falling from grace, the biggest blow was to Xi Jinping. This may be a strong blow from anti-Xi forces within the Chinese foreign affairs circle after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. If Liu Jianchao is investigated, it would be another major blow for Xi after Qin Gang’s downfall.
An anonymous account posted under the name “Observation Sharpness” said, “At the 20th National Congress, Xi’s power reached its peak. The official media said the Central Committee members were selected under Xi’s guidance. How clever. To choose people themselves, then let these people ‘choose’ you for three consecutive terms as general secretary, this is manipulating elections! In just over two years, many of the Central Committee members personally ‘selected’ by him have fallen, including the promoted Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, and now Liu Jianchao. That article has now become evidence of his election manipulation and poor judgment.”
This event involving Liu Jianchao has sparked widespread speculation and analysis, raising questions about the future of the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs leadership and the potential impact on key figures within the party.