The former Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (referred to as the United Front Work Department), Liu Jianchao, who had been “missing” for nearly two months, was confirmed to have been removed from office today (30th). Liu Haixing, 62, has now taken over as the Minister of the United Front Work Department, with his diplomatic and national security background drawing attention.
On September 30, the “leadership” section of the Central United Front Department recently updated to show Liu Haixing as the Minister of the United Front Work Department.
The main responsibility of the United Front Work Department is to conduct so-called party diplomacy on behalf of the Communist Party of China worldwide, with its work tasks falling between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Propaganda Department.
Public records show that Liu Haixing, born in April 1963, graduated from the French Department of Beijing Foreign Studies University in 1981. Since 1985, he has had a long tenure in the Communist Party’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, starting from the translation department and studying at the Paris Institute of Public Administration and the National School of Administration in France.
He has served in various positions such as Counselor of the Western European Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Director of the European Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister-Counselor at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in France, and Director of the European Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed as Deputy Director of the General Office of the Central National Security Commission in March 2018, later assuming the role of Deputy Director in charge of daily work at the General Office of the Central National Security Commission, ultimately taking up his current position. He is a member of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party.
Liu Haixing himself is a second-generation red, as his father Liu Shuqing served as a political instructor in the Health School of the Shandong Military Region before the establishment of the Communist Party of China. After the Communist Party’s establishment, he held positions such as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Secretary-General of the Central Foreign Affairs Leading Group and concurrently Director of the State Council Foreign Affairs Office.
Before the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Liu Haixing was once thought to be a potential returnee to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Foreign Minister.
Since joining the Central National Security Commission, Liu Haixing has rarely made public appearances, apart from occasionally publishing signed articles in the Party’s media.
Liu Haixing’s appointment has sparked questions about the whereabouts of his predecessor, Liu Jianchao.
In August this year, several foreign media reported that after ending his visits to Singapore, South Africa, and Algeria on July 30 and returning to China in early August, Liu Jianchao was taken away for questioning by the authorities, with his residence being searched.
On September 13, Taiwan’s media, “The Up Media,” published an article by independent commentator Du Zheng. The article mentioned that a retired Chinese official hinted that the case of Liu Jianchao was related to a leak of information, and one of the reasons for the leak was related to a “beautiful woman.” However, the individual did not provide further details.
Exiled Chinese scholar Yuan Hongbing, speaking to the overseas media outlet “Vision Times,” recently disclosed that Liu Jianchao’s downfall was linked to a power struggle mainly involving the current Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s faction.
It is generally believed that the handling of Liu Jianchao may be made public around the time of the upcoming Fourth Plenum next month. Liu Jianchao himself is a member of the 20th Central Committee.