Following the news of Liu Jianchao, the Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party (referred to as the United Front Work Department), being investigated, his deputy, Sun Haiyan, was reportedly arrested today (August 15th) in connection with the case. However, subsequent reports indicate that Sun Haiyan is still working normally. At present, high-ranking officials and senior statesmen in the Zhongnanhai are attending the Beidaihe Conference, making the turmoil in the Chinese diplomatic circle particularly noteworthy.
On August 15th, Reuters cited three informed sources as saying that Sun Haiyan, the Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department and deputy to Liu Jianchao, who is currently being interrogated by authorities, was also detained in early August.
The sources stated that Sun Haiyan was detained by the authorities in connection with the case involving Liu Jianchao. However, the reasons for the interrogation of the two diplomats are currently unknown.
According to Reuters, the State Council Information Office and the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party did not immediately respond to requests for comments, further indicating uncertainty within the Chinese diplomatic leadership.
If the two individuals are missing, it will deepen people’s doubts about the formulation of the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign policy, especially amidst the tense trade and geopolitical situation between China and the United States.
However, concerning the news of Sun Haiyan being taken away and detained by authorities, later today, the Singapore-based “Lianhe Zaobao” reported that, based on information from two sources, Sun Haiyan is currently working normally, and the news of her detention is untrue.
Sun Haiyan’s most recent public appearance was at a reception hosted by the Nepalese Embassy in Beijing on August 1st.
Public records show that Sun Haiyan, born in April 1972 in Hejian, Hebei Province, is an alumna of the Class of 1989 in Information Management from Peking University. She studied at the Law School of Kyushu University in Japan from 1996 to 1997, obtaining a Master’s degree in Law in Japan. She also earned Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Law from Peking University’s Law School in 1997 and 2008, respectively.
In December 1997, Sun Haiyan joined the United Front Work Department and has worked in various departments such as the Research Office, Contemporary World Research Center, Information and Communication Bureau, and Bureau One. She served as Deputy Secretary of the Zhangdian District Committee of Zibo City, Shandong Province from March 2008 to January 2009 (temporary duty), was appointed as Ambassador to Singapore in February 2022, and became the Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department in June 2023.
On August 11th, Reuters previously reported, citing informed sources, that Liu Jianchao, aged 61, was taken away for questioning by the authorities in early August upon returning from visits to Singapore, South Africa, and Algeria. His residence was searched by the authorities in early August.
On August 9th, the Wall Street Journal reported that Liu Jianchao was taken away for questioning by the authorities upon his return to Beijing at the end of July, with the reason remaining unclear.
However, the personal information of Liu Jianchao and Sun Haiyan is still available on the United Front Work Department’s website.
Liu Jianchao has previously served as the spokesperson for the Information Department of the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as an Ambassador overseas. In 2015, he was appointed as the Director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, becoming a key figure in President Xi Jinping’s “Operation Fox Hunt” targeting officials suspected of corruption. He went on to help establish a provincial-level supervisory commission in Zhejiang Province as a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection in 2017. He returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018 and became the Minister of the United Front Work Department in May 2022.
After Qin Gang was relieved of his position as Foreign Minister in July 2023, Politburo member and Director of the Foreign Affairs Office, Wang Yi, took over as Foreign Minister. Liu Jianchao was previously seen as a popular candidate to succeed Wang Yi as Foreign Minister ahead of this year’s two sessions, but that opportunity fell through.
The revelation of Liu Jianchao’s ousting comes at a time when high-ranking officials and statesmen in the Zhongnanhai are attending the Beidaihe Conference, leading observers to believe that there are turbulent waters within the circle of power in Beidaihe.