High-Ranking Chinese Diplomats Face Scrutiny Amidst Allegations and Purges
recent events have brought scrutiny to the upper echelons of the Chinese Communist party’s (CCP) diplomatic corps, marked by the sudden dismissal of officials and allegations of misconduct. This follows a pattern of similar incidents in the past, raising questions about internal power struggles and corruption within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Several high-ranking officials have been implicated in scandals.in July 2023, a television station host was dismissed following accusations of an inappropriate relationship with a diplomat connected to an exclusive interview and the subsequent birth of an illegitimate child. In 2005, Shen Guofang, an assistant to the Minister of Foreign affairs, was demoted, reportedly due to a sex scandal. Further back, in 2015, Zhang Kunsheng, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Concierge Department, was dismissed amidst charges of bribery and engaging in power-for-sex transactions.
More recently, Liu Jianchao, formerly a key diplomatic figure, has become the subject of intense speculation. Yuan Hongbing, a Chinese scholar currently residing in Australia, alleged to overseas media that liu Jianchao engaged in promiscuous behavior. Hongbing claims Liu Jianchao, who was considered a potential future Foreign Minister, feared a challenge from the faction led by current Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and that Wang Yi’s group intended to expose alleged corruption and misconduct. according to Hongbing, Liu Jianchao attempted to negotiate with a major country, offering classified CCP documents in exchange for a potential escape route should he face a purge.
Hongbing further alleges that Liu Jianchao’s movements were under surveillance by CCP security forces, and that one of his secretaries was an intelligence operative reporting directly to Xi Jinping. He claims Liu Jianchao was arrested before he could execute this plan. Hongbing reports that Liu Jianchao, after his arrest, maintained his innocence, claiming he was framed by Wang Yi’s faction and accusing his secretary of having an inappropriate relationship with Wang Yi.
Current affairs commentator Zhong Yuan, speaking to Epoch Times, acknowledged the opacity of CCP operations, stating that the true reasons for Liu Jianchao’s downfall remain unclear. However, Yuan emphasized that Liu Jianchao was a prominent figure selected by Xi Jinping, and his case represents the latest instance of intense infighting within the CCP’s diplomatic system.
Speculation has also arisen regarding the backgrounds of Liu jianchao and former Foreign Minister qin Gang, with some suggesting they may have had prior ties to Chinese intelligence. Liu Jianchao graduated from the English Department of Beijing Foreign Studies University in 1982 and studied at Oxford University in 1986-1987 before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Du Zheng suggests that, given the CCP’s historical practice of recruiting from universities during the period of opening up, Liu Jianchao may have been an “old agent” - someone with a pre-existing connection to the National security System.
Retired US diplomat John J. Tkacik, Jr.,noted that young graduates assigned by the CCP’s diplomatic service bureau consistently demonstrated a keen interest in gathering details about US operations,citing Qin Gang as an example. Tan Shenge believes this behavior indicates involvement with the Ministry of State Security, suggesting Qin Gang may have used “diplomatic cover” for intelligence work.
