Key Leaders and Key Positions
Among the 205 newly selected members of the Central Committee, five of them are from the foreign policy apparatus: Wang Yi, Liu Jianchao, Liu Haixing, Qi Yu, and Qin Gang. Wang Yi has been the Foreign Minister for the past decade and the State Councilor for the past five years. At the age of 69, he is one of the three Party leaders that have exceeded the age limit of 68 to sit on the Politburo—the other two being Xi Jinping and Zhang Youxia, the vice chair of the Central Military Commission. Now a member of the Politburo, Wang Yi will be the most senior foreign policy official of China and is expected to take over Yang Jiechi’s portfolio as the executive director of the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Xi’s top foreign policy advisor.
Wang will be supported by Liu Jianchao (age 58), Liu Haixing (age 59), Qi Yu (age 61), and Qin Gang (age 56). All four were born after 1960, and three of them have the potential to serve another term or advance to the next level by 2027: Liu Jianchao, Liu Haixing, and Qin Gang will be under 65 by then, the retirement age for ministerial-level officials in China.
The question is who will assume which position, including Foreign Minister. Liu Jianchao’s position is relatively confirmed; he was announced as the Director of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCID) this past June. Given that it has been less than five months, it is unlikely (although not impossible) for him to change gears. A career diplomat, Liu was posted to the United Kingdom and later served as ambassador to the Philippines and Indonesia, consecutively. He also has eight years under his belt working at the Information Office of the Foreign Ministry. He worked as the deputy director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission from 2018 until becoming the head of CCID.
Qi Yu has been the Party Secretary of the Foreign Ministry since 2019. He is the only one that came from a domestic political background, as the head of Organization Departments for Qinghai, Jilin, and then the Central Committee. He is also the only Party Secretary of the Foreign Ministry not having come from a diplomatic background since the separation of the party and the government. Therefore, it is unlikely for him to be promoted to Foreign Minister. However, there is one precedent where the Party Secretary of the Foreign Ministry became the head of the Taiwan Affairs Office: Zhang Zhijun was granted that promotion in 2013.
That leaves Liu Haixing and Qin Gang as the potential contenders for the Foreign Minister position. Most speculation in China favors Qin Gang, who has been serving as China’s top envoy to the U.S. since July last year. Qin had had a long career as the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry and had postings in Europe. He was promoted to be the vice Foreign Minister in 2018 responsible for Latin America, information, and protocol and then shifted to European affairs in 2019. His posting to Washington as ambassador despite his lack of ambassadorial experience is seen as a strong indication of Xi’s support.
Liu Haixing is also a career foreign service officer having specialized in European affairs. A French major, Liu served multiple terms at the Chinese embassy in France, in addition to as Director General and Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe. He was seconded to the National Security Commission (NSC) in 2017 and carried the title of deputy director of the office of the NSC in 2018. Foreign media reported that Liu was to become the executive vice foreign minister this past May, although to date his name is not yet listed on the leadership page of the Foreign Ministry.
Key Characteristics
With the exception of Wang Yi, all four foreign policy officials are relatively young. Regardless of which position they will be appointed to specifically, their positions on the Central Committee convey key characteristics of China’s foreign policy under Xi Jinping.
First, none of the five top foreign policy officials came from a “U.S. background,” i.e. coming from the Department of North America at the Foreign Ministry and being responsible for managing U.S.-China relations. Wang Yi and Liu Jianchao have been more “Asianist ” having served as ambassadors in Asia, while Liu Jianchao, Qin Gang, and Liu Haixing all have relatively strong European backgrounds: Liu Jianchao and Qin Gang both served at the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, and Liu Haixing, a French major, specializes on western Europe. This means that Xi’s foreign policy continues to depart from the focus of his predecessors who prioritized relations with the U.S.—most manifested in the appointment of “U.S. hands” as top foreign policy officials, including Li Zhaoxing and Yang Jiechi as the Foreign Minister.
Second, the selection of the top foreign policy officials demonstrates Xi’s emphasis on public relations and public diplomacy. It is no coincidence that two of the five officials, Liu Jianchao and Qin Gang, have served as the Ministry spokesmen , as well as heads, of the Information Office of the Foreign Ministry. And it will be no coincidence if Liu and Qin are appointed to be the top official in charge of diplomacy of the Communist Party and the People’s Republic, respectively. Beijing sees a dire need of the ability to shape the international narrative and influence global public opinion. Having officials who specialize in public relations is a clear push in this direction.
Last but not least, service at the Party commissions clearly pays off and is a fast track to promotion. Liu Haixing served at the office of the National Security Commission from 2017 to 2022, and Liu Jianchao served at the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission from 2018 to 2022. Both have surpassed their peers at the Foreign Ministry and are promoted into the Central Committee at the 20th Party Congress. Liu Jianchao has received his ministerial position, while Liu Haixing’s promotion is expected in the coming months.
Similarly, reports have been saying that ambassador Qin Gang’s unprecedented promotion originated from the approval and support he received from Xi himself. In Xi’s era, to be in the circle close to the top leadership apparently is a great accelerant for promotion, and the foreign service is one of the best examples of this trend.
Foreign Policy Personnel Under Xi’s Third Term
By Yun Sun
China
The 20th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party concluded on Saturday with the announcement of the new leadership of the Party and, hence, the nation. While Xi Jinping’s third term as the General Secretary of the Communist Party was generally expected, many observers have been surprised by how his political confidants and loyalists have prevailed in the Politburo and Politburo Standing Committee. While most attention has been focused on the domestic political leadership, less analysis has been available on the changes to the foreign policy leadership of the Party and what it suggests for China’s foreign policy under Xi’s third term.
Key Leaders and Key Positions
Among the 205 newly selected members of the Central Committee, five of them are from the foreign policy apparatus: Wang Yi, Liu Jianchao, Liu Haixing, Qi Yu, and Qin Gang. Wang Yi has been the Foreign Minister for the past decade and the State Councilor for the past five years. At the age of 69, he is one of the three Party leaders that have exceeded the age limit of 68 to sit on the Politburo—the other two being Xi Jinping and Zhang Youxia, the vice chair of the Central Military Commission. Now a member of the Politburo, Wang Yi will be the most senior foreign policy official of China and is expected to take over Yang Jiechi’s portfolio as the executive director of the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Xi’s top foreign policy advisor.
Wang will be supported by Liu Jianchao (age 58), Liu Haixing (age 59), Qi Yu (age 61), and Qin Gang (age 56). All four were born after 1960, and three of them have the potential to serve another term or advance to the next level by 2027: Liu Jianchao, Liu Haixing, and Qin Gang will be under 65 by then, the retirement age for ministerial-level officials in China.
The question is who will assume which position, including Foreign Minister. Liu Jianchao’s position is relatively confirmed; he was announced as the Director of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCID) this past June. Given that it has been less than five months, it is unlikely (although not impossible) for him to change gears. A career diplomat, Liu was posted to the United Kingdom and later served as ambassador to the Philippines and Indonesia, consecutively. He also has eight years under his belt working at the Information Office of the Foreign Ministry. He worked as the deputy director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission from 2018 until becoming the head of CCID.
Qi Yu has been the Party Secretary of the Foreign Ministry since 2019. He is the only one that came from a domestic political background, as the head of Organization Departments for Qinghai, Jilin, and then the Central Committee. He is also the only Party Secretary of the Foreign Ministry not having come from a diplomatic background since the separation of the party and the government. Therefore, it is unlikely for him to be promoted to Foreign Minister. However, there is one precedent where the Party Secretary of the Foreign Ministry became the head of the Taiwan Affairs Office: Zhang Zhijun was granted that promotion in 2013.
That leaves Liu Haixing and Qin Gang as the potential contenders for the Foreign Minister position. Most speculation in China favors Qin Gang, who has been serving as China’s top envoy to the U.S. since July last year. Qin had had a long career as the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry and had postings in Europe. He was promoted to be the vice Foreign Minister in 2018 responsible for Latin America, information, and protocol and then shifted to European affairs in 2019. His posting to Washington as ambassador despite his lack of ambassadorial experience is seen as a strong indication of Xi’s support.
Liu Haixing is also a career foreign service officer having specialized in European affairs. A French major, Liu served multiple terms at the Chinese embassy in France, in addition to as Director General and Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe. He was seconded to the National Security Commission (NSC) in 2017 and carried the title of deputy director of the office of the NSC in 2018. Foreign media reported that Liu was to become the executive vice foreign minister this past May, although to date his name is not yet listed on the leadership page of the Foreign Ministry.
Key Characteristics
With the exception of Wang Yi, all four foreign policy officials are relatively young. Regardless of which position they will be appointed to specifically, their positions on the Central Committee convey key characteristics of China’s foreign policy under Xi Jinping.
First, none of the five top foreign policy officials came from a “U.S. background,” i.e. coming from the Department of North America at the Foreign Ministry and being responsible for managing U.S.-China relations. Wang Yi and Liu Jianchao have been more “Asianist ” having served as ambassadors in Asia, while Liu Jianchao, Qin Gang, and Liu Haixing all have relatively strong European backgrounds: Liu Jianchao and Qin Gang both served at the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, and Liu Haixing, a French major, specializes on western Europe. This means that Xi’s foreign policy continues to depart from the focus of his predecessors who prioritized relations with the U.S.—most manifested in the appointment of “U.S. hands” as top foreign policy officials, including Li Zhaoxing and Yang Jiechi as the Foreign Minister.
Second, the selection of the top foreign policy officials demonstrates Xi’s emphasis on public relations and public diplomacy. It is no coincidence that two of the five officials, Liu Jianchao and Qin Gang, have served as the Ministry spokesmen , as well as heads, of the Information Office of the Foreign Ministry. And it will be no coincidence if Liu and Qin are appointed to be the top official in charge of diplomacy of the Communist Party and the People’s Republic, respectively. Beijing sees a dire need of the ability to shape the international narrative and influence global public opinion. Having officials who specialize in public relations is a clear push in this direction.
Last but not least, service at the Party commissions clearly pays off and is a fast track to promotion. Liu Haixing served at the office of the National Security Commission from 2017 to 2022, and Liu Jianchao served at the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission from 2018 to 2022. Both have surpassed their peers at the Foreign Ministry and are promoted into the Central Committee at the 20th Party Congress. Liu Jianchao has received his ministerial position, while Liu Haixing’s promotion is expected in the coming months.
Similarly, reports have been saying that ambassador Qin Gang’s unprecedented promotion originated from the approval and support he received from Xi himself. In Xi’s era, to be in the circle close to the top leadership apparently is a great accelerant for promotion, and the foreign service is one of the best examples of this trend.
Recent & Related