BEIJING, Aug 15 (Reuters) – A Chinese diplomat, who Reuters reported had been taken for questioning by Chinese authorities, appeared at a diplomatic event in Beijing on Friday evening.
Sun Haiyan, a senior Chinese diplomat and former ambassador to Singapore, appeared as a guest at an event organised by India’s embassy in Beijing.
In response to a question from Reuters at the event, Sun did not comment directly on whether authorities had detained or questioned her, saying, “Well, I’m here.” She called the Reuters report “irresponsible”.
Reuters had reported on Friday that Sun had been taken for questioning by authorities earlier this month, citing three people with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Reuters could not determine the matters the questioning related to.
Chinese authorities questioned Sun around the same time they questioned Liu Jianchao, widely seen as a potential foreign minister candidate, two of the three people with knowledge told Reuters.
Liu’s questioning by authorities was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and then by Reuters on Monday. Liu, 61, could not be reached for comment.
Reuters could not establish if Liu was still being detained.
China’s State Council Information Office, which handles media queries for the government, and the International Department did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on Friday.
Reuters renewed the request for comment to both agencies after Sun’s appearance on Friday. Neither agency had an immediate response.
Reuters had reported none of the three sources who requested anonymity in discussing Sun’s questioning knew the basis of the questioning of either diplomat.
Profiles of both Liu and Sun remain on the International Department’s website.
The detention of Liu 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.
Liu’s detention followed a work trip to Singapore, South Africa and Algeria. His house was searched in early August, Reuters has reported.
Sun’s last public appearance was on August 1, when she attended a reception hosted by Nepal’s embassy in Beijing.
Sun, 53, is the first woman to serve as a deputy head of the Communist Party’s International Department. In that role, she serves as Liu’s deputy.
Sun was China’s ambassador to Singapore between May 2022 and July 2023.
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.
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