Overview
- The Central External Liaison Department’s website on Sept. 30 confirmed Liu Haixing as department head and showed Liu Jianchao had left the post.
- U.S. and other media reported in August that Liu Jianchao was taken into custody after returning to Beijing from an overseas trip in late July.
- Beijing has not announced any charges or given reasons for Liu Jianchao’s removal, and the circumstances remain undisclosed.
- Liu Jianchao had been viewed as a leading contender for foreign minister and was known for his deep understanding of Japan.
- The personnel change fits a broader pattern since 2022 of senior officials being removed or investigated under Xi Jinping’s third term, with potential implications for party-to-party diplomacy, including ties with Japan.