Liu Haixing

Liu Haixing
刘海星
Liu in 2016
Head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party
Assumed office
30 September 2025
General SecretaryXi Jinping
Preceded byLiu Jianchao
Executive Deputy Director of the Office of the National Security Commission
In office
July 2022 – September 2025
Preceded byChen Wenqing
Personal details
BornApril 1963 (age 62)
Beijing, China
PartyChinese Communist Party
SpouseZhang Meifang
Children1
ParentLiu Shuqing
Alma materBeijing Foreign Studies University
International School of Public Administration
National School of Administration
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLiú Hǎixīng

Liu Haixing (Chinese: 刘海星; born April 1963) is a Chinese diplomat and politician, currently serving as Head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party (ministerial-level).

He is a representative of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and a member of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[1][2] He is a delegate to the 13th National People's Congress.

Early life and education

Liu was born in Beijing, in April 1963, to Liu Shuqing, a diplomat and politician.[3] His ancestral home is in Jiangyin, Jiangsu.[3] After graduating from Beijing Foreign Studies University in 1985, he joined the Foreign Service.[3] From 1987 to 1988, he studied at the International School of Public Administration in Paris, France.[3]

Political career

Liu returned to China in 1988 and continued to work at the Translation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[3] From 1994 to 1996, he studied at the National School of Administration.[3] After working in the Translation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for two years, he was appointed first secretary of the Chinese Embassy in France in 1998.[3] In 2002, he became counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations.[3] He was made deputy director of the Western Europe Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2003, and served until 2009, when he was chosen as envoy of the Chinese Embassy in France.[3]

In 2012, he succeeded Li Ruiyu as director of the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a post he kept until 2015.[3] In 2015, he was promoted to become assistant foreign minister, a position he held until 2017.[3] In March 2018, he took office as vice chairperson of the Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress. In July 2022, Liu was appointed as Executive Deputy Director of the Office of the National Security Commission.[4]

Head of the International Department

On 30 September 2025, he was announced as the new head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, succeeding Liu Jianchao who, according to sources, was detained by anti-corruption officials.[5] In November 2025, Liu met with Social Democratic Party of Germany co-leader Lars Klingbeil as part of the party dialogue between the SPD and the CCP established in 1984.[6]

In January 2026, Liu wrote in the People’s Daily that "frequent systemic crises within capitalism" and the success of the Chinese model means that "historical evolution and the competition between the two ideologies and social systems — socialism and capitalism — are undergoing a major shift on a global scale that increasingly favors socialism". He also argued that China's rise had shattered the "Western-centric" logic that equates modernization with Westernization and "sets a benchmark and provides a brand-new alternative for developing nations seeking to achieve modernization while maintaining their independence and autonomy".[7]

Personal life

Liu married diplomat Zhang Meifang, who bore him a daughter.

References

  1. ^ Fu Zhongming (符仲明) (25 September 2022). 中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会代表名单. ce.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  2. ^ Zhao Wenhan (赵文涵) (22 October 2022). (二十大受权发布)中国共产党第二十届中央委员会委员名单. xinhuanet.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Yi Yi (伊一) (14 March 2017). 刘海星不再担任外交部部长助理职务. ce.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  4. ^ "劉海星正部外交「三劉」". Sing Tao Daily. 21 July 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  5. ^ "刘建超"消失"多时后 刘海星接任中共中联部部长" [Liu Haixing took over as Minister of the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee after Liu Jianchao "disappeared" for a long time]. Radio France International. 2025-09-30. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  6. ^ "German vice chancellor visits China in difficult times". Deutsche Welle. 16 November 2025. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  7. ^ Gan, Nectar (9 January 2026). "China Touts Its Governance Model as Trump Tests Global Norms". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 9 January 2026.