Former China envoy to Singapore Sun Haiyan reappears after reported questioning
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Ms Sun Haiyan (left) appeared at an event organised by the Indian embassy in Beijing on the evening of Aug 15.
PHOTO: ZICHEN WANG/X
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SINGAPORE – Former Chinese ambassador to Singapore Sun Haiyan was likely questioned by the authorities earlier in August in connection with a probe into her superior, Mr Liu Jianchao, but she has since returned to work, The Straits Times understands.
A smiling Ms Sun, 53, appeared at an event organised by the Indian Embassy in Beijing on the evening of Aug 15, suggesting that she is not necessarily implicated in whatever trouble Mr Liu could be in.
The Wall Street Journal had reported on Aug 10 that Mr Liu, who heads the Communist Party of China International Department (CPCID) and was seen as a front runner to become foreign minister, had been taken away for questioning after he returned to Beijing in late July from a work trip. The reason for his detention remains unclear.
Reuters then reported on Aug 15 that Ms Sun was also detained
As at Aug 15, both Mr Liu and Ms Sun remain listed as the minister and vice-minister of the CPCID on its website. The department manages the party’s ties with foreign political parties.
A source familiar with the situation told ST on Aug 15 that Ms Sun had been uncontactable for several days, often a sign that someone has been taken in for questioning by the authorities.
But the source also noted that it is standard procedure for the authorities to question those who have worked closely with a person under investigation, and that this does not in itself imply wrongdoing.
Another source said on the afternoon of Aug 15 that Ms Sun was “working normally” and that news of her attending a diplomatic event that day “would be out soon”.
That evening, Mr Wang Zichen, a research fellow at the Beijing-based Centre for China and Globalisation, posted photos of Ms Sun at an ongoing reception in Beijing marking India’s Independence Day.
She stood next to Chinese Foreign Vice-Minister Miao Deyu in a crowded ballroom, the photos showed.
Her presence was verified independently by ST.
Ms Sun, a Hebei native, holds a doctorate in law from Peking University and has studied at Japan’s Kyushu University.
She joined the International Department in 1997, serving in various roles including as spokeswoman and head of the bureau responsible for ties with South-east Asian countries.
She served as ambassador to Singapore from May 2022 to July 2023.
