BEIJING (Reuters) -A deputy to a prominent Chinese diplomat being questioned by authorities was also detained, three people with knowledge of the matter said, a further sign of uncertainty in the top echelons of China’s diplomacy.
Sun Haiyan, a senior diplomat and former ambassador to Singapore, was detained in early August around the time Liu Jianchao, widely seen as a potential foreign minister candidate, was taken in for questioning, two of the people said.
Sun, the first woman to serve as a deputy head of the Communist Party’s International Department, was detained by Chinese authorities in connection with the questioning of Liu, the sources said.
None of the sources knew the basis of the questioning of either diplomat. The sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The detention of Liu, who leads the International Department, marked the highest-level disappearance of a diplomat since China ousted its former foreign minister and President Xi Jinping’s protege, Qin Gang, in 2023, following an unexplained public absence.
His detention followed a work trip to Singapore, South Africa and Algeria. His house was searched in early August.
The disappearance of Sun alongside the highly visible Liu, adds to questions about China’s foreign policy establishment at a time of rising tensions with Washington around trade and geopolitical influence.
China’s State Council Information Office, which handles media queries for the government, and the International Department did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Reuters could not verify if both Sun and Liu were still being detained. Neither could be reached for comment.
Both their profiles remain on the International Department’s website.
Sun’s last public appearance was on August 1, when she attended a reception hosted by Nepal’s embassy in Beijing.
Sun, 53, was stationed in Singapore between May 2022 and July 2023. When she left her post, she hosted a 500-person reception at a luxury Singapore hotel, according to Chinese news reports.
She joined the International Department in 1997, where she served in a wide range of roles, including spokesperson and head of the bureau responsible for ties with Southeast Asian countries. She also served as a district Party Committee official in the city of Zibo, Shandong province, in 2008.
Originally from Hebei province, Sun holds a doctorate in law from Peking University, having also studied at Japan’s Kyushu University.
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by William Mallard and Saad Sayeed)
