Designated for the position of foreign minister.
In a move that has raised concerns about leadership cohesion and political stability within China's elite ranks, senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao, head of the Communist Party’s International Department, has been detained. This development is a sign of intense internal party discipline and ongoing power consolidation, rather than a straightforward loss of top leader control.
Liu Jianchao, who led the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) for about three years, was a strong candidate for future foreign minister and played a central role in important diplomatic and party efforts. His detainment, reported by Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, citing several sources familiar with the matter, occurred upon his return from a trip to Algiers at the end of July.
This detainment comes amid Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which has seen several high-ranking Chinese politicians disappear without a trace in recent years, only to be declared removed from office later. The campaign underscores both Xi's tightening grip on power and the instability that comes with purging senior officials. However, it also shows strategic calibration, as the contrasting release of other detained elites like Bao Fan suggests that repression is balanced with selective incentives to stabilize the political economy.
Liu Jianchao's diplomatic portfolio included key initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative negotiations and relations with the U.S. His detention is part of broader political shifts that have left several key leadership vacancies and stirred speculation about stability and foreign policy continuity. This development tests Xi's ability to maintain loyalty, manage military modernization goals, and control China's political trajectory ahead of his possible fourth term.
Notably, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang disappeared in the summer of 2023 and has not been seen in public since. Defense Minister Li Shangfu was also removed from office in 2023. Corruption is suspected in the cases of Qin Gang, Li Shangfu, and Liu Jianchao's predecessor.
In September 2022, Liu Jianchao was seen in political circles in Berlin, and met with then-Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Beijing. His last trip was about two weeks ago to Algiers.
In summary, Liu Jianchao's detainment is a sign of intense internal party discipline and ongoing power consolidation rather than a straightforward loss of top leader control. This development underscores the ongoing high-stakes anti-corruption purge and internal discipline measures targeting key political and military elites under Xi’s rule, which aim to consolidate control rather than show its erosion.
- The detainment of Liu Jianchao, a key figure in China's policy-and-legislation and politics, is indicative of ongoing power consolidation and internal party discipline within the Communist Party of China, as part of Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign.
- The general-news about Liu Jianchao's detainment, a high-profile diplomat, has stirred speculation about stability and foreign policy continuity, as it comes during a time of intense politics and power struggles within China's elite ranks.
