CCP Names New Top Diplomat, Offers No Explanation on Predecessor’s Disappearance

Liu Haixing, a veteran diplomat, replaces Liu Jianchao, who has not been seen publicly since late July, as the head of CCP’s diplomatic arm.

A Chinese paramilitary policeman stands guard in Tiananmen Square before the introduction of the Communist Party of China's Politburo Standing Committee, the nation's top decision-making body, on a smoggy day in Beijing on Oct. 25, 2017. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has installed a new leader of its diplomatic arm, while remaining silent on the whereabouts of his predecessor, who has been missing from public view for over a month.

On Sept. 30, the CCP’s International Department updated its official website to show that Liu Haixing, a veteran diplomat who spent much of his career in Europe, is now its head.